


Never Let Go

by Lexi_Gold1591



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, One Shot, Reunion, bethyl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-02-21 04:40:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 48,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2455058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexi_Gold1591/pseuds/Lexi_Gold1591
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bethyl reunion, and post reunion on the way to Washington story. Canon compliant with the season 5 so far, will probably be AU in the future, but won't be as long as possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! 
> 
> After the season premiere I was left with the whole "I need a bethyl reunion ASAP" complex (even though I'm guessing it's gonna be halfway through the season). So I figured the next best thing would be to write one. After seeing how Daryl reacted to Carol, this is how I hope he'd react to Beth. Bare with me, Daryl might be a bit OOC, but then again I never would have guessed he'd throw himself in Carol's arms- so I'm going with the idea anything goes. Currently, it's a one shot but I'm contemplating adding to it. If I do, I'll try and keep it as close to canon as possible.
> 
> Please let me know what you think! Also, if you find any typos or grammatical errors I would love to know- I wrote this pretty quickly last night and gave it a quick once over edit, so I may have missed some things.
> 
> -Lexi
> 
> PS: Obviously I own nothing about the walking dead, I just love it and the characters

Morgan found her the day she escaped. When she killed the last of her pursuers he emerged from the trees behind her, and before she could pull her knife on him she saw the SWAT team gear. It reminded her of Glenn just long enough for him to level a gun at her. She had cursed herself for being so stupid. Good people didn’t survive and if they did they sure as hell didn’t stay good. She was testament to that.

They didn’t speak out loud but their eyes had a full conversation. Morgan didn’t want to kill her. She didn’t pose a threat to his armed advantage. He had lowered his gun and walked past her towards Terminus.

“It ain’t safe there.” Were the only words she’d spoken. Her voice had been raw and when he looked closely he saw her shaking. He’d nodded and watched her silently until she jerked her head in a different direction and started walking. Since then they hadn’t exchanged more than 2 or 3 words at a time. Yet still, they fit. They protected each other. Knew that they were both damaged and needed physical stability. They didn’t talk about their pasts and didn’t pretend to have a future.

 At least they hadn’t thought they’d had a future until Beth had picked up the track of a large group of people including men, women, and a teenager. They’d started veering off when she saw the green fletching of an arrow that fit a crossbow. The same green _he_ had been sporting when they’d still been together.

 Neither Beth nor Morgan needed much rest. Their stamina had grown as they were together, and it wasn’t long the before the tracks were fresher, as the pair advanced on the group. With each gain they made, Beth grew more wary and retreated even further into her mind. She could not let herself hope. It had to be coincidence. The tiny voice in the back of her mind she had cornered off reminded her that _he_ was alive. It was the only hope she hadn’t squashed purely because it was logical that if anyone could make it, it would be _him_.

 Night was falling when the distinct sound of feet snapping branches became audible. They maintained a far enough distance that both survivors knew to wait for the group to set up camp before scouting out the members.

 It wasn’t long. The feet stopped crunching and hushed voices were heard.

 Beth and Morgan crept through the trees, as silent as the night was dark. When Morgan moved in front of her as a signal for her to wait for him to look and come back, she accepted the decision. She was too on edge to be as stealthy as they would need to be to get close to the camp.

 When he returned he didn’t speak. He didn’t have to. His eyes were enough. Beth had never seen them water. She had never seen the slight crinkle near his eye, as though if he were able to smile he would. She swayed slightly at the realization this was happening. She couldn’t resist pinching herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming- that this hadn’t been a long dream and she’d wake up to hell.

 The pinch hurt but she remained awake. Cautiously she followed Morgan as they went back. She continued to remind herself there was no way they were all together. Morgan only knew Rick. It didn’t mean anyone else she was looking for was there.

 When they got close enough they began to let themselves make some noise, a few branches snapping here and there, to alert whoever was on watch. The noise from the camp stopped and the distinct clicks of guns being drawn was audible.

 They broke through the trees into the clearing, with Morgan continuing to block her. It was a habit- he hid her. Hid her from Walkers and leering men. But this time he served as a much needed buffer when she heard Rick’s voice.

 “Morgan?”

 “Rick.” The two men stepped up to each other, Beth in Morgan’s shadow as they shook hands. It wasn’t until Rick peered over Morgan’s shoulder that anyone even noticed she was there.

 His eyes widened into saucers and tried to move Morgan to the side. Morgan didn’t move until Beth’s hand fluttered to his shoulder as consent to see the man who had led her before.

 “How did you- with Morgan- I can’t believe-“ He cut himself off to spin around. “Maggie!”

 Beth’s heart dropped as her sister emerged from behind Glenn who was slightly behind a large red haired beast of a man. Maggie’s gun clattered to the ground as a sob broke from her lips and then the older woman ran. She raced across the distance to tackle Beth in a hug she couldn’t reciprocate. Beth remained stiff as her sister clung to her- her mind racing. She wasn’t angry about Maggie’s omission of her name on the Terminus signs at the moment. She simply couldn’t reconcile this reality. There were no happy endings anymore. How was it possible that she had found her family?

 Her face was almost buried in Maggie’s hair as sobs wracked her sister’s body. Glenn was grinning so wide it nearly split his face in half.

 Yet, her blood relative was not who Beth’s eyes scoured the camp for. Her blue eyes raced over the members of the group, past Carl and his smile, Michonne and her strength, Carol and her surprise, Tyreese, Sasha, Bob, Glenn, the red haired man, a tubby fellow with a mullet, a Latina girl, and another dark haired girl she didn’t recognize. Yet _his_ face was nowhere in the group.

Rick noticed her mental perusal, “If you’re looking for Daryl he’s out hunting and tracking. I don’t know how he still sees in this light but the man still manages to find something. Should be back-“

 There was a brush of branches as Daryl emerged from the trees with his crossbow up. He’d obviously seen the weapons of his friends, but also taken notice of how they were lowered. He never would have come out if he believed there was still a threat. The man possessed a stealth that was life changing in tight circumstances.

 When his eyes reached Morgan and Rick’s close stance and smile, he dropped the cross bow to his side. It wasn’t until he shifted his gaze to Maggie’s entwined state with the other intruder that his eyes widened and his crossbow clattered to the ground along with his knees. He didn’t pull his eyes away from the shock of blonde wrapped up in Maggie’s brown hair.

 His shoulders were slumped as he stared at Beth as though he were seeing a mirage. His hands rested on his knees as he watched in disbelief as Beth’s gaze engulfed him.

 She pried Maggie’s hands off her and slowly approached the man at the edge of the clearing. Her hands shook violently as she got closer to him. Her eyes never stopped moving as they committed and compared every detail of him to memory. He had a cut under one eye that must be stinging as tears coursed down his cheek into his beard. His hair was as wild as his eyes. Yet he didn’t move as she approached him. He was frozen until she was right in front of him.

 Her hands fluttered in front of her, as confused as ever about what to do first. She finally met his dark blue eyes and what she saw shattered the towering walls she had painstakingly built and hid behind.

 What she saw was a man whose soul had been given back. His life was knitting itself back together as the only faith he’d ever had hovered in front of him. His gaze worshipped her fire-lit form as he spoke her name in the only prayer he had ever uttered.

 “Beth.” It was a whisper but it broke along with the barriers between the two of them as they crashed together.

 Beth stepped forward as his arms wrapped around her waist and his head buried itself in her stomach. Sobs shook them both as his shoulders shook against her and her chest heaved with the tears she hadn’t let fall until that moment. Safety fell like a net with his arms wrapped around her. She cried for her kidnapping, she cried for those she had killed, and for what she had been through. She cried for Morgan and she cried for their lost hope. But most of all she cried happily as the man she would have searched the entire planet for held her tightly.

 Daryl’s arms tightened around the waist of the girl he thought he’d lost. He held her close enough to make sure she would never leave his arms. The world could have come crashing down around them but it wouldn’t have mattered as long as she remained wrapped up in him. Soon her knees gave out as she collapsed into him. He heard the rest of the camp move around but he didn’t care. She had found him. She had survived and because of that he would too. He had needed her to breath and as he tried to absorb her into himself he finally took in the breath he had so badly needed.

 He had never once wavered in the faith that she would survive. Never did he allow himself to consciously believe she was anything but alive. He had never had faith in anything other than that truth. He would have moved mountains to find this girl and instead she was here and he would never lose her again. His resolve was as strong as the grip they held each other in.

 Eventually the sobs turned to shaky breaths and Beth loosened her grip on him. He didn’t let go even as she stood up. She carefully pulled him up to stand with her and ran her arms over his shoulders, across his angel winged back, and down to his waist, checking to make sure he was okay and alive and there, before resting her head against his chest. She would never let him go.

 Still no words were spoken as he lifted her chin with his hand, as gentle as if he were holding glass, and wiped the tears from her face with his hands. His tanned palm had never seemed so large against her pale, porcelain face. But as he did this, she took comfort in them, in these hands that had and would keep her safe.

 With this thought she reached up and did the same for him, watching her tiny hands take away his tears- resolving to never let anything make this man cry again. She would protect him too this time.

 As this resolve filled her with a purpose, she felt a sense of future and with that something she barely recognized: hope. Her facial muscles started to do something she wasn’t sure they still knew how to as she stared into his bright gaze. It wasn’t big, but the tugging at her lips pulled her mouth into a smile.

 “Hey.” Beth spoke quietly, her words barely audible but there none the less.

 Daryl didn’t respond immediately- just captured her hand against his cheek- refusing to break contact. She watched as something filled behind his gaze- something that looked a lot like,

 “I’m sorry. Beth I-“ His words stopped as he stared at the ground.

 “No.” Her words echoed all that her eyes showed. It wasn’t his fault. She didn’t hold him accountable. She had found him, that’s all that mattered.

 They’d talk about this again at some point, but for now they didn’t need to speak. They were together. He had found his family. He had found his faith. His light. He had found _her._

 It didn’t matter what came next. She had found him. She’d found her family. He’d given her hope back the moment he touched her. And while she may be broken, and he had been shattered, they would fix each other. They would keep each other safe.

 Nothing was certain in this world. Nothing except them. 

* * *

 It was later in the night as the camp settled down to sleep, with Daryl offering to keep watch. There was no way he would fall asleep now that she was there. He would not let anything harm her. Nothing would get near the angel that was curled up a few feet away. Maggie had tried to wrap her sister in her arms to sleep but Beth had stiffened and insisted she could sleep on her own.

 He watched as she tried to sleep, closed her eyes, tried to even out her breathing. But nothing happened as she continued to move little muscles in her body on the ground. First her first tapped, then her hands started clenching and unclenching until finally she flipped on her back and stared open eyed at the stars above her.

 She remained that way for a while until she turned her head the other way and found Daryl staring at her as if she still might disappear.

 They still hadn’t exchanged more than the words they’d spoken when the reunited. She knew he felt guilty and she ached to silence it but couldn’t find words that he would believe yet. They’d just found one another; it was too soon for them to find all the words they would need to repair the other.

 Giving up on sleep completely she got up and sat next to him, the warmth emanating from his arm emanating onto her side and into the rest of her.

 “Can’t sleep?” She shook her head and glanced at him- finding it impossible to take her eyes off him. He seemed to have the same struggle as he eventually tore his eyes away from her to flick across the camp before they shot back to her face.

He didn’t have to ask to know that she never really slept. He hadn’t since he lost her- it was no surprise if she was finding it difficult. Yet, he knew keeping her awake was a bad idea- the girl was emotionally exhausted. Daryl dealt with that kind of fatigue by doing something to fix it- in this case by keeping watch over her. But he knew Beth and he knew she needed to sleep it off.

 “Try again.” His voice was gruff as he mumbled out the last part. “I’m not goin’ anywhere. I’ll keep ya safe.”

 They were the last words they both had expected to come out of the mouth of the man who never shared anything that could be construed as emotionally charged. She watched as he accepted them and shrugged, looking over at her.

 “’M serious. You stayin’ up with me ain’t gonna make you or me feel any better. Now go to sleep.”

 Beth nodded and decided that sleeping next to him where she could still feel his body heat was the best option. So, she lay back down on the ground, facing him this time and tucked her arms against her and curled her feet in. Surprisingly this time as she tried to close her eyes, fatigue washed over her like a wave.

 It was as her mind began to numb she let herself whisper into the night, hoping he’d hear the words she spoke only for him,

 “I missed you.”

 As Daryl heard her, he moved his hand over to untangle one of her hands and interlock it with his. He wasn’t surprised by his need to touch her anymore. His collapse into her earlier had shot that barrier straight into the ground. When she opened one eye to him in question, he just shrugged and tightened his grip on her fingers. He needed to make sure she didn’t disappear and anchoring her to him with his hands seemed like the easiest way to do so. He was never letting go again.

 She let out a sigh and her breathing started to even out.

 Words came unbidden to Daryl again- but he recognized them as the feeling he had been drowning in since he had lost her. This time rather than dragging himself under, he clung to her hand and spoke them out so she could save him like he needed her to.

 “I missed you so bad when you were gone Beth Greene.”

 The slight upturn of her lips at his declaration and her shifting of her grip to hold their hands closer to her, wrapped him in a feeling of contentment he barely recognized, yet warmed him better than any fire could.

 He’d burned down his past with the girl he was giving his future to. And as he watched their hands pulled close to her sleeping form, he knew she had given him hers.

 No matter what this apocalypse gave and took from them, they’d finally found their way back to each other.

 And they were never letting go.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone :)
> 
> So I figured I'd continue on with the story, the feedback I've gotten off this is amazing and I really do love writing for these characters. I have a pretty good idea of where I want to take the story, but getting to the main plot might take a few chapters. 
> 
> Anyways, I'm not sure how long this story is going to be, but this chapter is a fair bit longer than the last. I've tried to take the last episode into account, and hopefully the story won't end up too AU or the characters too OOC. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think! If you liked it, if you didn't, if there was something you'd hope to see, or an incontinuity, and especially if you find any grammar issues etc.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> -Lexi

“Beth?” She sat up with a jolt and turned to see Maggie with her hand still partially outstretched towards her sister. Beth looked around the clearing quickly, taking a poll of everyone she’d seen the night before. 

Glenn was still asleep next to her sister. Rick was talking to Carl with Michonne: they seemed to be joking about something. Maggie noticed her eyes linger on the trio and started to explain their newfound family dynamic. Beth nodded in the expected spots and made an occasional noise but rather than focus on the older Greene, continued to take note of the people in the clearing. 

Morgan hovered an awkward distance away from Rick’s new family, looking at them occasionally, but spending most of his time with his eyes flitting across the tree line. 

The group of people she’d never seen before were standing near what seemed to be a fire pit, with the mullet man bent over, appearing to warm his hands while the red haired beast seemed to be standing guard over him. The Spanish girl was in the middle of a quiet conversation with the other dark haired female whose eyes kept darting towards the Greene sisters. 

Beth’s breath caught in her throat when she saw Sasha help Bob limp across the campsite. “Maggie. What happened to Bob’s leg?” 

Maggie stopped mid-sentence. “What do you mean?”

Beth almost sighed in frustration, “His leg Maggie: it’s like Daddy’s was.” 

“We were held in Terminus for a while and when we escaped they tracked us down. When they caught up they took Bob. They cut off that part of his leg. He and Sasha always play this game where she says something and he makes good out of however bad it is. Somehow they always get back to that leg, and he always says it’s a blessing. Some Walker had bitten him earlier that day- so they cut out the bite and poisoned themselves in the process.”

“They ate him?” The news came as a slight jolt to Beth, but nothing more than what she had felt when she woke up. It was just like that these days- something happened and eventually it just became a part of everyday. The things she saw with Morgan were horrific- but she had made peace with the terrors that walked each and everyday. The dead weren’t the only thing to be feared- people were worse.

“When Bob went missing we were frantic. He, Daryl and Carol were just gone one day. We managed to find Bob but Daryl had to find us while we fumbled around lookin’ for him. Beth-“

Beth cut her off before Maggie could finish her sentence. Her heart had leapt to her throat the second she’d heard the words Daryl and gone in the same sentence. She may have been the one who was taken but he was still gone. She had still felt his absence every day. Every time that cop tried to touch her. Every time they told her she was nothing. Every single day: he was gone. 

“What do you mean gone?”

“He wouldn’t talk about what happened when you were taken, but one night outside a church we were stayin’ in, he saw this black car with a white cross painted on the back and then he was gone. They, he and Carol, got in the car and followed it until they couldn’t anymore. From what Carol’s told us the car ran out of gas but they tracked the one they were followin’ to this compound near Terminus. When they split up to look through buildings they took her. You operated on her but she said you probably wouldn’t remember. She didn’t go into it beyond that but when she got out and found him, Daryl had lost his shit. He was feral. I don’t know what happened when you guys were on the road but after yesterday I just-‘

Daryl watched from where he stood with Carol, as Beth stood up abruptly and spoke quickly to Maggie before heading over to stand next to Morgan. 

Daryl had finished his watch in the morning with his hand still tightly grasped in Beth’s. She had left their hands outstretched between the two of them, but he’d had to pry her fingers off when Rick gestured him over to discuss continuing their trip to Washington.

When he’d returned with Carol he had been dead set on finding Beth. Emphasis on dead- he would have died looking for her, and he almost drove himself to it. He had barely agreed to continue to Washington with the prison group so long as it didn’t hinder his chances to look for Beth. Carol had explained that they’d taken Beth away from the compound when they found her trying to help Carol escape- she hadn’t really remembered the older woman, but her familiarity and her dire situation had hit home with his Greene girl, and she’d sprung her from her hospital room. 

He barely slept, he spent every night looking for trails in the area, and every day he spent scouring forests and nearby towns, until he’d track his family down and occasionally rest for an hour or two before starting again. He’d had her ripped out from him once at the funeral home, and then he’d lost her a second time when they’d gotten to the compound. He would not fail her again- but she’d found them. She’d beat all the odds and found them.

Now he watched as she and the crazy man from Rick’s exchanged small objects. Morgan passed her a water bottle and she passed him a few strings and rags from her pockets. They nodded once to each other and then split off in opposite directions- with Beth heading towards him. 

She came to a halt in front of him and held the water bottle out in front of her. “I need to refill this, have you found a stream or something around? I’d go look for it but I wouldn’t want to slow you down.”

While her words were addressed to both him and Carol, her eyes didn’t leave his face. Even though she’d checked him over the night before, it was still a shock to see him in the daylight. His hair was too long, his beard let go, and the bags under his eyes were probably his most prominent feature. Yet, at the same time his eyes didn’t look hollow, he had lost the haunted expression from the night before, and he looked strong. 

“We were actually just gonna head over if you want to toss your bottle on the pile.” Carol jerked her head to the tarp littered in milk bottles, old plastic bottles, and a couple flasks.  She was in the midst of stringing the tarp into a position that would be easier to lift and carry. 

“It’s okay, I’ll come. Can I grab something?” The older woman shook her head but finished her work with the tarp before picking up one side while Daryl picked up the other. Then, the trio started their way into the tree line. 

Beth was almost silent in the forest now. Daryl could barely hear her footsteps unless he concentrated and even then they were faint- no wonder they hadn’t heard her or Morgan follow them to the campsite the night before. 

But aside from quieter, she was different in the forest- more on edge. She was a bit withdrawn from what he had seen in the clearing, but in the forest she was detached and focused- almost confident but still wary. Her eyes darted around the trees as she listened- her hand was resting on the knives set that rested across her hips. Figuring it was as good a thing as any to ask her about,

“Where’d you find those?” Daryl nodded at her knives. She realized how she must look, as on edge as she was with Morgan- but she couldn’t help it. Nowhere was safe. 

“We, Morgan and I, figured out I was okay with a knife but too small to get close to Walkers or people with it. I’m pretty easy to overpower when I get into contact fights. Morgan keeps a bunch a’ weapons on him and we’d already established I’m useless with his staff so he figured these would be a good thing to teach me. He’s good enough with them that I picked it up pretty quick. When I got better than he was he gave ‘em to me. I’ve still got a hunting knife just in case, but I find these are safer.” 

Daryl embraced the burn of pride at her ability to adapt and survive. He’d understood the depth of just how weak the group thought she was when he’d found them. No one ever said it, aside from Maggie’s surprise when he explained that she was alive. He knew she hadn’t been looking for Beth, it was written all over her signs for Glenn to go to Terminus. He wasn’t sure if Beth’d seen the signs, but judging by the way she kept pulling away from her sister- she probably had. It wasn’t like Beth to hold a grudge, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt her. And now, while he wanted to see what she could do with the knives, he didn’t want her to have to use them. 

So, rather than respond he made a noise that he figured sounded like approval and tugged the tarp a little bit to his side to indicate to Carol that they needed to turn in that direction. Like always, she followed him easily. Beth shifted with them, standing just slightly behind him- the same way they’d travelled before. 

Beth almost smiled at how natural it was to fall back into the routine of travelling with Daryl. He was easy to shadow, and her weeks with Morgan had heightened her awareness of proximity. Morgan hated being physically close to her, but he needed to be close enough that distance wouldn’t be a hindrance if they were attacked. They ended up working a bit like a planet and it’s moon. She sort of orbited around him, but never got too close. 

With Daryl, the same tactic appeared to be working. If they started hunting together or going on runs she’d have to figure out what proximity was okay with him. Before, he’d seemed to be warming up to the idea of keeping her close. Now, they’d have to figure it all out again. 

The night before, they hadn’t broke contact, and she knew it was because both were afraid the other would disappear. Now, coexisting in daylight and doing something as mundane as filling a water bottle was helping her adjust to the fact that what was happening was real. It wasn’t long ago when her version of reality was twisted, but it was coming back. She was recovering and even though she still half expected herself to wake up in the compound, shadowing Daryl was enough to anchor her for the moment.

They reached the stream soon, each of them grabbing a pile of water containers and skimming the surface to keep the dirt out of the water. Carol and Daryl knew how to finish the task quickly, so Beth stayed a little ways away to give them room. They reminded her of how she was with Morgan- easy to work around.

As she looked at the older pair, a slight tightness crept into her chest that she recognized as envy. She had missed Daryl just as much the rest of her family when she was taken- more so perhaps. They had been around each other all the time, and being with him was as easy as breathing. When they took her she had to figure out how to do it on her own until she found Morgan. As she had said Morgan was temporary, and she couldn’t help but hope that Carol was Daryl’s fix. 

The two had always been close. She’d thought on multiple occasions that the older woman had feelings for the redneck but then everything went to shit and she didn’t think on it anymore. Now, looking at them she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d been right. Carol was always watching Daryl, from the side of her eye, or in little side glances. Her hands found excuses to touch him and he let her. He wasn’t reciprocating or initiating- but he was letting her. Beth allowed herself exactly one thought of wondering if he would let her touch him again after last night- or if he’d managed to reassure himself enough that she was real. His hand had been her anchor that night, and while he may be convinced of her, she wasn’t entirely convinced he wasn’t a dream.

With that thought the next time Daryl passed her a water bottle she took the opportunity to graze her fingers across his. She knew her face remained neutral, not much managed to flit across her features these days. She knew she’d been easy to read- it’s part of what made it simple for the people at the compound to manipulate her. That’s why she’d learned to school her features into a neutral submission. Once they realized they couldn’t play on her emotions to coerce her into- 

No. She wouldn’t think about those things again. They were too painful- too horrible. It was in the past and they didn’t get to feel sorry for themselves. Still, she couldn’t help the quickening of her breath, and the tension that filled her body, along with adrenaline as she subconsciously prepared herself for another round of her compound treatment.

“I have to catch up with Morgan for a few things. Do y’all mind if I grab some of these and head back to camp?” 

Beth needed to hurl her knives into something. She was drowning in the past, and Morgan had showed her the easiest way to do that was to make sure her past could never hurt her again. Daryl had shown her how to survive, Morgan taught her how to forget. 

Daryl looked up at the agitated blonde as she started picking up water bottles and slinging them into her belt and another tarp that she tossed over her shoulder. She didn’t wait for an answer as she hurried off into the forest, somehow still managing to stay silent.

“Let’s go.” Daryl encouraged Carol to move faster as they finished off the last couple bottles. There was something up with Beth. His friend nodded and they lugged the tarp back to camp. By the time they got there Beth and Morgan were missing from the area.

Rick noticed his search for the younger Greene and explained she’d just left with Morgan. Without needed to be asked, he gestured in the direction they’d gone. He grabbed a water bottle and left to follow her trail.

He stopped just outside a clearing where he saw Beth and Morgan. They were standing in the middle, and Morgan was pointing at different things until Beth nodded, at which point the older man stepped back and she took a new stance. 

His breath caught as suddenly she moved. Her hair glinted as brightly as the knife she sent hurtling through the air into a tree, and then a branch, then whirling to do the same to another tree that was originally behind her, before spinning back to the first tree- hitting it at exactly head level. 

Yet, as impressive as her skill was he watched her face while she threw the knives. With each resounding thunk, her tense features relaxed a little. Her expression may have remained neutral but the tension still rippled underneath. Morgan grabbed her knives quickly and returned them to her, pointing in a direction immediately to their right. The slight moans of the dead could be heard, probably attracted by the noise of the knives in the trees. He almost cursed them and stood up to help them as the pair sunk into a practiced stance. 

Morgan was in front of Beth a little, with the blonde flanking him a slight distance away, and angled just enough so that they couldn’t be ambushed from behind. The tension in her features took up residence in the rest of her body as the first Walker appeared. Beth took it down with a knife, then the next, and the next before Morgan stepped in and took out another two with his staff. One approached him from behind but before Daryl could raise his crossbow Beth was there with a hunting knife, sinking it into the head of an older looking Walker. Morgan nodded to her as they sank back into their original stance, just listening. 

Daryl turned as the sounds of uneven, dragging footsteps sounded from slightly behind him. He pulled his knife and waited for the Walker to make an appearance. It stumbled it’s way out of the trees and turned from it’s original trajectory of Beth and Morgan to set it’s sights on Daryl. He crouched, waiting and raised his knife. Just before it reached his defensive area, a shiny, silver dagger hit it’s head solidly and the Walker hit the ground. 

Beth appeared behind the tree and pulled the dagger out, clutching her hand to her chest when she saw Daryl. 

“What are you doin’ here?”

Daryl shrugged and stood up, brushing himself off as Beth wiped the knife off on the Walker’s shirt. She continued to watch him until his shoulders relaxed to the point where she knew he’d answer her.

“Ya seemed off. Wanted ta make sure you were a’right. I ‘member you sayin’ you could take care of yourself- I always believed you but I never thought you’d be able ta do tha’.” In a way, she knew it was a compliment. Morgan had noticed the redneck and disappeared back into the trees, probably on his way back to the camp.

“I told you I’m good with the knives. But thanks- I’m fine. Just wanted to get some practice in.”

“Yeah, but Beth, that looked kinda easy for ya’. I never thought killin’ would be natural for anyone, let alone you.” 

She wasn’t going to explain anything to him about when she was taken. She wanted to, but they weren’t ready. She didn’t know the words that would erase the guilt she watched overtake his features. She also didn’t want to relive it herself yet. She wasn’t strong enough.

“I remember tellin’ you once that killing them isn’t supposed to be fun. I still believe that. It’s not something I do to blow off steam. Yeah, that’s what I was doin’ with the knives originally. In the trees. I was gettin’ caught up in what happened to me when we were fillin’ water bottles. I’m not like any of you survivors, I know I’m weak.”

Daryl opened his mouth to argue with her but she cut him off before he could speak. “Don’t tell me it’s bullshit. I’m small, but I know now that I’m not physically weak. I mean mentally. I know my head is fragile. I just don’t have the stomach for killin’. Walkers are easy because people are hard. I can take down Walkers because I had to and honestly because I have something to compare it to. I’ve killed people Daryl. I don’t wanna talk about it yet because I don’t know how- but I’m not the same person who left. I wish I was. I envy her. She was strong. I miss being able to smile without effort. I hate that I had to learn to function with Morgan when all I wanted was you but you were gone. I was gone. And just like we were, that girl is gone. Little Beth Greene from the farm ain’t here any more and I miss her so bad. I just want her back but when I can’t find her I distance myself from her memory and that’s what I was doin’ here with Morgan. Tryin’ to forget”

Her head hung down as she stared at her fingers as they fiddled with each other. He had never hated his difficulty with words more than at this moment. He wanted to explain to her that Beth Greene wasn’t gone. The girl he had clung to last night was the same one he had lost and he knew because he had seen the walls that held  this Beth Greene together crumble as she collapsed into him. He wanted to tell her that it was his Beth (what else could he call her?) that wiped the tears off his face in the sweetest gesture he’d ever been granted in his life. He wanted to help her remember, to bring her back but he couldn’t find the words- probably in the same way he had watched her struggle to find her words with him. 

Instead he settled for this, “You’re still her. You, whoever ya think y’are is the same girl I knew. Ya might be a little, or a lot, better than she was with knives but trust me- you’re her. Look at yer hands. She never knew what ta do with ‘em. Even if ya can’t see her- I can.”

Her lips turned up in a sad smile as she looked up at him before back down to her hands, “Maybe I need you to remind me sometimes.” 

He almost smiled as the words left her mouth. There wasn’t anything else he knew how to say but there was something he could show her, so he grabbed one of her still moving hands and tugged her in the direction of camp. 

“I can do better than that.” 

Beth gripped his hand as tightly as she could, as he pulled her back to camp and with him a little piece of Beth Greene came back. 

He lead her over to the only tent on the side of camp. “There’s one person you still haven’t seen yet.” 

Beth watched, bewildered, as Daryl disappeared into the tent before returning with someone who made her hands fly to her mouth and her chest. The little blonde tuft shone in the sunlight as bright blue eyes turned to meet hers.

The little girl’s name left her mouth as a whisper, “Judith”.

As Daryl handed her Judith, Beth took the little girl as if she were made of glass. Tears streamed down her face as the baby giggled and Beth sank to the ground. She held Judith’s head to her heart as she muttered quietly. Judith had obviously missed her as her tiny hands patted Beth’s face and tangled in her hair. 

Daryl watched as the two blonde girls made small noises to each other, neither making sense but he knew from Beth’s face that he had done something exactly right for the first time in his life. He hadn’t needed to give her words, he needed to give her the feeling of familiarity- of their old home. 

Rick came to stand next to him as the two men looked on at their girls. “Judith needed her. Thank you for keeping her safe as long as you did.”

Daryl wanted to tell him Beth kept herself safe, that he they had kept each other safe- but he was too caught up in watching her reunion with the blonde baby to do anything other than shrug and make a small noise of non-commitment.

At the noise, big blue eyes that had haunted his dreams met his gaze. He had seen her smile wider, but he had never seen a smile so brilliant as the one she gave him at that moment,

“Thank you.” 

Tears almost sprang to his eyes again, as she looked back down, and he heard the broken sound of a lyric coming from his angel’s mouth to Judith, “and we’ll be good.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that you've read it I just want to add that I'm not planning on making Beth into a throwing knives wielding badass. I just figured, especially with who Morgan is, that the knives would work as a crutch. They serve as another barrier between her and who she was, and with how Morgan set up traps in his town and tried to kill everything that hurt him, it seemed realistic that he'd give that type of comfort to her. She isn't a killer, she won't be- it's just something else that's become a part of her surviving. 
> 
> And in relation to this, I'm hoping Morgan doesn't come off as the hero who swept in a saved Beth- they kind of saved each other- and I'll get more into their relationship in future chapters- he might be a tad (or quite) crazy, but he's ultimately well meaning.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,
> 
> Sorry for the wait- I've been crazy busy with midterms. Either way, hopefully you like the chapter!
> 
> I promise the next one will be up shortly. If not by tomorrow, it should definitely be up by Monday.
> 
> -Lexi

The next morning, the large red head, who Beth had learned was named Abraham, was pacing back and forth in front of the fire pit, alternating his gaze between the mullet man, and Rick’s tent. He was obviously waiting for the oldest Grime to make an appearance, and from his stance- he was anxious to ask about something. 

Beth was sitting on the edge of camp with Michonne. She liked the older woman- she didn’t ask too many questions, but when she did speak it was actually kind of funny. Beth regretted not getting to know her better when things had been more carefree back at the prison.

“It seems Abraham’s had enough waiting here- he’ll want to get a move on to Washington soon.” Even Beth agreed that the group had stayed in one place for too long. Their noise defenses were okay, and the watches were constant- but staying in such a large group out in the open was always dangerous. She and Morgan had taken advantage of other groups multiple times.

“I’m surprised y’all stayed this long as well. I know Morgan and my appearance wasn’t exactly planned- but even I’m confused why we’re still here." 

Michonne smirked a little and looked down at the smaller blonde. Beth Greene had always been quiet, she’d always been sweet and smart, but she’d never been aware. Or maybe she had, they had just never noticed- yet the change was noticeable now- and she liked it. Michonne knew from her own experience that the kind of strength Beth displayed was something she’d learned. Whether Daryl had taught her or she had found it in herself- it was the strength that came from withstanding everything thrown at her. She was quieter now- but it wasn’t an awkward silence the old Beth Greene would have filled with chatter- it was an observant silence- as she took in what was going on around her. A wary silence. It was something Michonne almost took comfort it.

Speaking of Daryl, Michonne enjoyed watching him try and find excuses to be around the blonde. He was never obvious, and yet somehow he managed to be awkward. The redneck had been harsh and closed off when she’d met him. He relaxed a little at the prison and she’d imagined they were friends. When the Governor ruined their set up- the last person she’d assumed he’d keep around was Beth Greene.

The man wasn’t cruel- he never would have left her on her own- but Michonne had never expected that he would have embraced her company. Tolerated it maybe.

But then again, the last thing she would have expected was for him to offer himself up in place of Rick when the gang he’d been with tried to kill her friend. She’d never heard such conviction in his voice- any strong emotion other than anger- when he told Maggie in no uncertain terms her sister was alive. Nor had she ever seen him as feral as when Carol had been taken from him by the same people who took his first companion- only to have her return to him without the girl he’d been looking for in the first place. She had never seen him struggle to not resent someone the way he struggled with Carol.

When Daryl and Carol had left the night Bob was taken, they’d expected them all to be dead. Okay, maybe not dead, Daryl seemed to have an affinity for not dying, but captured maybe. The last thing they expected was to find him in the middle of a herd of Walkers slashing at them with a large hunting knife. He was soaked in black blood by the time they’d helped him kill the rest of the remarkably small quantity of leftover Walkers. He’d all but growled,

“I ain’t going to no fucking Washington”. Abraham had started to attempt to talk him into helping him ‘save the world’- but had only managed to get out the words,

“Now, son” when Daryl’s fist connected with his face, knocking him to the ground. He’d gotten up spluttering only to have Daryl lunge at him again. It took Tyreese, Rick, Glenn, and Tara to keep him from pummeling the ex-army man.

Rick had been the only one to get anything other than a snarl out of him after a few hours of stalking the hunter through the woods. Daryl had explained that he’d seen the same type of car that had taken Beth when he was out talking to Carol- and they’d followed it straight into Alabama. Their car broke down and they ended up tracking the car to just outside a hospital compound inside the city. Terminus had been a few miles away by car, probably a few days walk by foot.

He and Carol had been hiding discussing which buildings to check out when they were separated by one of the groups of Walkers that surrounded the hospital. They ended up in separate buildings, and by the time he’d gotten to her, she was being dragged away, unconscious, by a bunch of cops. He’d managed to understand- even in his state of mind that he’d never be able to take down an entire system on his own- so he’d settled for coming back to camp for help. Not to mention the limping boy in scrubs that he’d collected along the way: Noah. The only reason the poor boy was still alive had been because he’d offered up information on the inside of the compound. That, and the fact that the boy had mentioned the name of his friend he’d tried to escape with: Beth.

From that moment on, Noah had become Daryl’s most prized possession. The boy didn’t leave his sight.

They’d been well on their way back to Alabama to collect the grey haired woman and the littlest Greene when Carol had come stumbling out of the trees- in remarkably good shape for someone who’d last been seen beaten and unconscious. She’d tripped into Daryl’s stiff arms. He’d looked like he’d seen a ghost. And yet as the older woman untangled herself from him, he was staring at the trees, as if waiting for Beth to appear in them.

When the blonde didn’t appear Daryl whipped his gaze back to Carol, “Where is she?”

Carol had the decency to look guilty for a moment before she launched into her escape. Apparently the medical staff had fixed her while she was unconscious, and she had been shaken awake by Beth in the middle of the night. The blonde had guided her to a roof, from which she helped Carol scale down the side and out. Their silent trip to the roof had been hindered by the police officers that had figured out what was happening, and Beth had been stuck halfway down the building as she followed Carol when the guards started their descent after them. They’d cut the rope and Beth had fallen the rest of the way, managing to cling to a windowsill and then climbing precariously down while Carol fought off a small group of Walkers.

The two had almost reached the exit when some lady named Dawn had come barreling out of an underground garage from a separate direction, cutting off their escape. Beth had turned to Carol, given her the kitchen knife she’d stolen earlier, told her to run. Carol had promised she’d come back with help, but she hadn’t been able to tell her who she’d been travelling with before Beth had surrendered to Dawn, yelling about a deal. Apparently it had been too advantageous a deal for Dawn to ignore, which had given Carol enough time to get out. She’d run for days before she’d reunited with the prison group.

When Carol had gotten to the part in the story where she’d left Beth to surrender herself for Carol’s freedom, a pained expression had flashed across Daryl’s face before it had switched to anger at the older woman.

“You left her?” He’d asked. It was quiet but contemptuous.

“She told me to go. I was just going to get help and then come back for her.” By then Maggie spoke up,

“My sister felt the need to get you away from these people that took her from Daryl, and yet you left her with them? You were so close!”

Carol tried to defend herself, but all that it sounded like was that she had thought that taking Beth would hinder her chances of getting back to the group. She wasn’t malicious, she definitely intended to go back for her, but she didn’t think it was realistic that the littler Greene would be able to keep up or do what was necessary to escape.

At that point, while Daryl had been silently struggling- even though Michonne knew he’d never been good with words, his intuition was dead on- and he understood exactly what Carol was saying.

“You thought you wouldn’t survive escaping if you had to _wait_ for her?” He spat the word.

“It’s not like I’m calling her a burden Daryl. You know what she was like at the prison- she’s built for rescuing- not surviving. I reasoned the best chance for both of our survivals was to take the opportunity she was giving me.”

“That’s bullshit. I survived just fine with her. She didn’t slow me down.”

“Yeah- _you_ survived with her. You, Daryl. If anyone was going to survive with her it would be you. Last man standing and all that.”

The redneck’s head jerked away almost as if Carol had slapped him. “She ain’t no _damsel in distress_.” 

He spoke the words as if they were toxic. “She knew y’all thought she’s weak. So yeah, I taught her to track, hunt, defend herself. Because no one ever bothered to show her before- and y’know what? She’s good at it- she survived with me, not because of me.”

“How was I to know that as she told me to leave her? You don’t get to be mad at me for something I didn’t know!” Carol was yelling by now. And while Michonne hadn’t expected to bear witness to the strong, silent man finally using the words he’d apparently bottled up for sometime- she knew it was coming when his fists clenched and he spoke quietly,

“You’re right. You didn’t know- none of you did. None of you expected her to survive. Hell, she didn’t expect to survive this long- but she made it. The fact _she_ got you out of the hospital, got this kid out too, shows that.”

At that, he gestured to Noah, who nodded and decided it was as good a time as any to pipe in, “I didn’t see Beth when they brought her, but from the second I spoke to her I knew she was strong. I don’t even think she tried to escape with me. When they caught her as I got out the fence, she had this pleased smile on her face. She was happy I got out- and ma’am, I wouldn’t have gotten out without her. I guarantee you wouldn’t have either.”

Michonne had thought it was sweet how much this boy seemed to care for Beth. Daryl had seemed like a mad man on a mission to save yet another lost girl, but hearing about how strong the new Beth Greene was- she realized he was partially trying to save her for himself. He didn’t just need to find someone, he didn’t just feel guilty for losing her- he needed to find _her._ Because he needed her. It explained why he was so hell bent on protecting him. While Noah was his last connection to finding Carol, the woman they all expected him to want, he also served as Daryl’s reassurance Beth was alive.

And the way Daryl looked at Carol in sadness at her cold calculations to find Beth was what fascinated Michonne. He didn’t want to be angry with his friend, but that’s how much Beth Greene meant.

Carol seemed to understand she wouldn’t be able to gloss over this with him, so she settled to the next best option.

“I swear Daryl, I will help you find her. I’ll help you get her out, and I won’t leave her this time.”

From that moment on, Carol and Daryl were out searching every night- it’s when they’d gotten so good at functioning as a unit. He forgave her quickly as she did everything in her power to help him.

When they’d found the hospital, it was already burning. The head policewoman, Dawn probably, was still there with a team, fighting desperately to save her compound. She’d rounded on the prison group, and they fought long enough to establish Beth was gone. She’d been the one to burn it down.

With that, they’d turned and left Dawn to try and save her compound of ashes.

Daryl just seemed kind of lost after that. He wasn’t any quieter; he was the same as he’d been after Terminus. Everyone had expected he’d shut down, or return to the wild, snarling animal he’d been when they found him in the middle of that road with Noah and the herd of Walkers. He still looked for her day and night, but he had agreed to go to Washington so long as it didn’t hinder his efforts. He looked as they travelled- considering they had no idea where Beth had gone.

While, he may have lost Beth again, she had made it out. It almost seemed like he was proud of the girl for setting everything on fire. Even Michonne had been proud. Not only did she get out, she had made sure no one could go back. She destroyed it. Beth Greene had destroyed something- and it was the first time Michonne had seen her strength.

Looking down at the girl sitting next to her on the log with throwing knives strapped to her waist, it was hard to see the soft, little singing daughter of Hershel’s that she had lived with at the prison.

This girl was withdrawn and slightly twitchy- getting along better with Morgan than her own sister, but Michonne had glimpsed the sweeter parts of the old Beth when Daryl had given her Judith the day before.

It had been hard to look away as Beth had been given back her surrogate daughter. It was similar to when Carl and Rick had first seen Judith, but slightly different in that the little girl seemed to be more like giving Beth back a piece of herself. Michonne had even heard her singing quietly. While her smile hadn’t been big, it had been brilliant.

It was nice to see something crack her hardened exterior. While Michonne liked the new Beth’s strength, she missed the hope the old Beth brought. No one hoped like Beth Greene. No one else would be able to find the strength to _sing_ in the middle of the _zombie apocalypse_. They needed her.

“I expect we’ll set out later today. Abraham’s definitely talking to Rick about it right now.” Beth let out a huff of air that could probably be construed for amusement as she looked at the big red head.

“He’s quite something isn’t he?”

“If nothing else- Abraham is definitely _something._ ” Michonne laughed. Rick seemed to have had enough of the towering man in front of him as he gestured something and then turned to face the camp,

“Alright everyone, Abraham has so kindly reminded me we should get going to Washington. I told him those of us coming with would leave with him today. Is there anyone who won’t be coming?”

With his words, he turned to look at Morgan, and briefly Beth, before flicking back to Abraham.

Morgan looked to Beth, who nodded. He turned to Rick, “Fine.”

At that, the camp was packed and ready to go shortly after.

Beth joined Daryl at the back of the procession, “I guess it’s time to go save the world?”

He smirked, “Sure.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter mostly covered what happened from Daryl's side of things. Michonne's point of view on it was mostly intended to give you a more unbiased idea of what happened. He and Beth will still cover it with each other, as technically Michonne didn't tell the story to her.
> 
> Also, here's where the plot gets going as we head to Washington- there'll be action and storyline etc. I'll try and incorporate canon as it happens, but for now some things will be a tad different.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> Apparently I'm a terrible liar in that I promised to upload this last Monday- but then it turned into a monster of a chapter: hence the very late update. Anyways, hopefully you like it!
> 
> I'm loving the current season- but sadly it's making the story more canon divergent than compliant. That being said, I'm trying to incorporate as much as possible- but there will be significant differences (specifically in Beth's story, and what happened with Carol).
> 
> -Lexi

Daryl looked down at Beth as they walked along the dirt road. It was still surreal for her to be travelling with them- with him. It had been too long since he'd seen the glint of blonde hair in sunlight. If Beth noticed him looking, she didn't mention it- like how he wasn't going to mention how her eyes were constantly taking in her surroundings, but always returning to him.

They were still bringing up the back of their group- as was his typical position, but Beth seemed more than content to stay out of everyone's way. She did that a lot, shrank into herself- similarly to how she'd done before the prison fell, but rather than trying to stay out of the way, this time she seemed like she was trying to keep attention away from herself. She wasn't trying to avoid being an inconvenience, rather trying to stay away from everyone to stay sane.

He'd acted the same when he'd ended up with Joe, and when he'd found his family in Terminus. After being alone with Beth for so long, functioning around a group, let alone a large group, was a big adjustment. He didn't know what exactly had made his first travelling companion as closed off as she was, but he did know the signs of a nervous Beth Greene.

Her shoulders hadn't relaxed since the first night he'd sat by her while she slept. While she may have babbled to fill the quiet before, now she rambled with her hands. They fiddled with each other whenever she was uncomfortable with extended lengths of silence, and when someone spoke to her for long intervals of time, or came up to her while she was alone- without Morgan or Daryl. While she may not make her feelings known verbally- her actions filled the silence.

They spent the morning in comfortable silence. The rest of the group chatted quietly amongst their pairings, and Beth's hands remained still by her side. She and Daryl would exchange the occasional sentence, but they didn't stray much from the casual conversation of pointing out different things by the side of the road.

"I used to climb those when I was younger." She gestured to a huge oak tree in the forest next to them. A tire swing hung from a branch. "I kept asking Daddy for a tire swing, but he said one day I'd swing up and over the branch and then I'd be stuck up there. 'Course I was six at the time and believed him. Finally got on one of those swings when I was fourteen. I'd been thrown by Nelly a good fifty times and decided no tire swing could possibly get the best of me."

"Damn horse." Daryl cursed in response. The corner of Beth's mouth quirked up in response as they kept walking.

"Stupid thing just kept spinning, so when I got off it and stumbled my way into the house Maggie thought I was drunk. Daddy was so pissed he grounded me for a month. I don't think I'd ever been angrier. I wasn't drunk- I'd been on a damn swing. It was such an anti-climatic and problematic experience I swore I'd never go on another again. Still can't look at them without feeling slightly offended. I guess somethings never change."

Daryl smiled a little to himself as she finished the story. He didn't have anything like that in his life, but he was happy she'd shared it nonetheless.

"I ain't never been on a tire swing. Didn't plan on it, but now I got an excuse. We can boycott the damn things." At that, Beth's other lip turned up in a smile.

"Besides- you definitely weren't drunk. You don't stumble that much when y'are. Y'might drop from happy to depressing in a ten seconds flat- but yer pretty good on yer feet."

"Is that a compliment, Mr. Dixon?" Daryl grunted in response and Beth almost laughed at the expression on the older man's face. She hadn't joked with anyone in what felt like forever. It was nice. She realized belatedly that a lot of the reason why she was okay talking this way with him was because she almost felt safe. There was no safer place in the world than at the side of the man beside her.

At some thought, the smile on Beth's face changed from one of amusement to thoughtfulness. Daryl wondered what she was thinking about, but didn't want to push her too far. He was content to be near her. When he was near her he could breath again; it was why he was always making excuses to be around her. It was more of a need than a want. When he couldn't see her, a weight settled into his chest and he rushed to make sure she hadn't disappeared again. Then, as soon as her golden hair was in his line of sight, the heaviness lifted and he could breath easier. He hadn't bothered understanding why- it was just a part of him- just like his instinct to go after her no matter what. Maybe it was that she was the light in his darkness, but it didn't matter- she just made everything better and he wasn't going to lose that.

"There's a supermarket ahead." Rick stopped everyone and pointed to the large, grey building ahead. There weren't many windows- it looked more like one of those bulk supermarkets that needed memberships to get in. If it wasn't too full of Walkers, or scavenged- it could pull a great haul.

"Daryl, Michonne, and I'll go ahead and scout. The rest of you stay here until we come back. We'll come back when it's safe, or if we need back up to clear it out."

Michonne nodded, stepping away from Carl to join Rick. Daryl took a few steps forward, before stopping in his tracks and turning back long enough to grab Beth's forearm and drag her with him.

"She's comin'." There was no room for argument in his statement. He wasn't asking, Beth was going with, and that was that.

"Daryl." He shook his head as she spoke his name- turning to look at her, and what she saw on his face silenced her argument. There was determination, but also a calm that said he wasn't going to leave her behind, and that he wasn't bringing her only to keep her in his sight- he thought she'd be of use. The idea made Beth smile and she tightened her knife holsters in response.

With a brief plea from Maggie that Daryl's glare shut down, the 4 scouts started moving away from the group.

The parking lot was packed with cars, which filled Beth with a sense of dread. The building was a multipurpose chain- one that Beth and her friends had joked about hiding out in in case of a zombie apocalypse. It appeared many people had also had the same idea. And all those people were either dead, or they were heading directly into someone else's territory.

Rick took point, with Michonne flanking his right. Daryl had gone to move to his left, but appeared to have decided that Beth should be on Rick's other side, and had directed her into place with a quick jerk of his head. She'd slipped in quickly, and Daryl had taken up residence slightly behind her to her left. He watched as she slid a few knives into her hands and sank into a crouch as they approached the door- suddenly deathly quiet.

He raised his crossbow and nodded when Rick looked back for affirmation. They were ready. Still seeing no sign of life they needed to gather permission from, Rick pushed the door open quietly- silenced fun raised. Michonne filed in next, then Beth and finally Daryl.

The room was huge, with towering aisles. Some were empty, but a good portion of stuff was intact- enough to be worth bringing the group back for supplies. While the stench was horrific, Beth switched seamlessly to breathe through her mouth, her stomach only lurching once.

There weren't any Walkers near the front doors, but the distinct irregular shuffling could be heard in the distance. Rick and Michonne turned to the right as Daryl and Beth took the left. Soon both pairs had disappeared into the aisles.

Beth noticed as they walked the dead bodies already littering the area. Most had been dealt with in the head, so they wouldn't turn, but the occasional was already shriveled or torn up enough to remain as no threat- and so the pair continued on. Soon enough however, the shuffling became louder and more direct as the Walkers caught the human smell.

Three staggered around an aisle just ahead and both Daryl and Beth sank into crouches, crossbow and knives at the ready. The three decomposing men stumbled towards the pair, only to be intercepted by an arrow through an eye, a knife through the skull, and a different knife driven through the side of the head, rather than Daryl reloading the crossbow.

This pattern continued as the two made their way through their aisles- killing the not-quite-finished Walkers on the floor, and the ones that had managed to drag themselves to their feet as they shuffled towards Daryl and Beth.

By the time they'd cleared out their side- the two were moving like a unit again. There had never been a need for words, but now they moved seamlessly with no warnings. Beth flowed back into Daryl's fighting style as if they'd never been apart, while Daryl adjusted slightly to Beth contributing more from a distance, and even more than she had before in close range fighting. While he may still have been wary of Morgan, the man had done right by Beth. The girl wasn't perfect- but she backed him up as well as anyone could- better than anyone had.

They found themselves in what had been the frozen food section of the store. Sadly, what was left was in a state of utter decomposition- yet the boxes could still be made out. Beth walked alongside Daryl, pausing next to one of the glass doors.

He looked inside and almost started laughing at the forlorn expression gracing her face as she stared at the pile of what had once been frozen pizza.

"You don't suppose there's a pizza place around here?" Beth asked sarcastically. At that Daryl let out a huff that could be construed as a laugh.

"Oh come on. You must miss it too. All that gooey cheese, I never liked too many toppings on it, the best part was always the-"

"Crust." Daryl finished the sentence with her. She met his eyes with a smile.

"Maggie and I always fought for it. Shawn and Jimmy hated it so we were always arguing over who would get the leftovers."

Daryl thought back to the many times he'd ordered with Merle. "Merle hated it too. Always gave it to me- felt like his dog gettin his leftovers at the time- but now I'd take 'em happily."

For a moment Beth allowed herself to picture herself and Daryl eating in a pizza place, ordering a too large pizza and then bickering over who got to eat the crusts off the leftover slices. She knew Daryl would argue for a while before letting her have them, just like he'd let her have a share of some of the food he'd originally claimed as his own at the funeral home. But, she'd end up splitting it with him- because she knew he loved them and could never keep any form of happiness from Daryl Dixon.

She smiled to herself at the thought and looked back at Daryl, who was looking at her with a soft expression, one that probably mirrored hers. They stayed that way for a little longer, just watching the other, before she decided they should start moving again.

She picked her way along the aisle, moving next to Daryl this time- still wary but not on guard, as their side was clear. Daryl still appeared to be thinking about something- so Beth left him to his thoughts as she moved silently beside him. If he wanted to tell her, he would.

Finally he asked quietly, "Do y'think you'd have even talked to me if we'd met 'fore all this?"

Beth fell silent at the question. Daryl was staring at the floor, but it was obviously something he was interested in- or he wouldn't have voiced it. She knew he was insecure about a lot, mostly to do with his past, but her relationship with him was something she'd never doubted after the fall of the prison. Even when they'd argued- and when they argued they went all out- one or the other had always caved with an unspoken apology: like that time when Daryl gave her the handkerchief for the berries she'd been pointlessly collecting for the children.

He had become her best friend, her protector, and towards the funeral home, her possibility of a future. She wasn't sure what they were anymore, but she knew Daryl had searched incessantly for her after she'd been taken from him- and if she was being honest with herself, she'd thought of him almost constantly at the hospital. The apocalypse had brought them together in some way, but she'd never stopped to think about what it would be like if she'd met Daryl  _before_.

Surely the age difference would have been a major factor, not only for social acceptability of  _any_ relationship between the two- but for the fact that they'd have run in very different circles. Beth would have gone to college, probably joined a sorority and spent most of her time on campus. There was very little chance she'd have ever run into Daryl, or even someone like him.

But if she had, how would she have reacted? She knew the redneck would have scared her. Probably told her off nicely as well. Yet, Beth knew that if she'd gotten to know Daryl the way she did now- she would have loved being around him just as much. There was so much more to him than she expected: every time she thought she had uncovered all of him in something, she was so wrong- and she loved it. He had challenged her in ways no one did- and yet he also accepted her in ways no one ever had. She would have been honoured to have been in his life before everything, societal norms be damned.

With that, she stopped and touched his arm, so softly she almost didn't make contact, to indicate for him to stop and look at her. Daryl turned and ever so slowly raised his eyes to hers. He knew when he met her gaze, she wouldn't explain her answer, not that she had to, but that they both knew her eyes would communicate better than she could with all her words.

"I hope so." And in those 3 words and her gaze, Daryl saw everything. He almost blushed a little, and looked away immediately, but brought his eyes back up- wanting to see more- to be assured that someone as  _good_ as Beth Greene would have been in his life if he'd given her the chance- even before the world had made someone with his skills a valuable possession.

Beth smiled softly at the wonder spread across his features, before turning towards the sound of Michonne and Rick's footfalls.

Both people were slightly gore-encrusted but seemed no worse for wear- rather they were laughing with each other about something. The two pairs met in the middle, and agreed that Rick and Michonne should go get the others while Beth and Daryl stayed to get a head start.

Beth took the pharmacy section of the store while Daryl started in the tools area- promising to shout if the other needed anything. There wasn't much in the pharmacy- but Beth took all that she could find, and piled it into the cart she had grabbed. Most of the medication that had been left was for minor headaches or fevers, but it wasn't expired quite yet- so she made sure she had taken all of it. There were some vitamins, and razors, which she promised to herself she'd get to Rick and Daryl as quickly as possible- both were starting to look like they'd crawled out of caves a few millennia ago.

She picked up the leftover baby food for Judith, and a couple teething toys, before swiping as many feminine hygiene products as she could from the shelf. She couldn't help but blush as she cleared out the condom section as well- thinking mostly of Glenn and Maggie, or Abraham and Rosita, but grinning to herself at the idea of Rick and Michonne. As quickly as it had come, she shook the idea of Daryl and Carol out of her head, her mood plummeting immediately.

She continued to meander down the aisle, picking up some toothpaste, and then stopping in her tracks when she felt someone come up behind her. They could only be from her group, but their steps weren't as practiced in their movements as they came towards her. She turned to see the mullet man approaching her.

"Eugene." His speech was a little stilted, but he extended his hand. Beth had learned his name before, but almost smiled at his attempt to be polite. She shook his hand firmly,

"Beth."

"I know. You're the reason we aren't in Washington yet." Beth turned with raised eyebrows to him, at which he tilted his head a little, appearing to try to understand why she could look offended. Realization seemed to dawn on him, as he added to his statement, "I see why. You're very pretty. I would look for you too if someone took you from me."

At that, Beth actually smiled at the awkward man beside her. "I'm hoping that's not the only reason y'all were looking for me. A pretty face means shit nowadays."

Eugene, to his credit, nodded as if what she said made logical sense before he spoke again. "If you know how to use the knives strapped to you, I can see how you would be an asset."

"I do." Beth didn't mention that she hadn't known how to use them before, but failed to see how that would help Eugene rationalize her presence. "I hear you're supposed to save the world?"

At her question, he launched into an explanation of confidentiality that she tuned out and continued her perusal of the merits of dental floss- deciding immediately that she would take as many boxes as possible.

When Beth tuned back in after finishing collecting all she could find, Eugene was still discussing the benefits of his plan to head to DC, regardless of whether or not he managed to save the world.

"I'm sure there are plenty of boys there for you to begin a life with. I, myself, hope to find a wife. I generally have poor luck with women, but perhaps I'll find one there."

Beth looked at Eugene while he rambled, wondering why he was discussing this with her, when Daryl came up next to her. Eugene didn't stop talking about his future love life despite the appearance of the hunter. Daryl's eyes furrowed together at the topic, looking to Beth who shrugged.

"Left my cart at the front." He mentioned quietly, and she nodded, heading towards the entrance with her cart and the two men.

Eugene had finally stopped talking, but Beth was still picturing this 'save haven' he'd imagined. It actually did sound nice- but she doubted it was a possibility. Yet, the idea of a permanent home without fear of Walkers was like a siren call- no wonder Abraham and his team was so dead set on it.

Most of the group was piling the supplies into vans from the parking lot, while some were siphoning gas from cars in the surrounding area. Beth dropped her cart and Eugene off with Abraham and Rosita, before heading over to Rick to grab a hose and canister to collect gas. To her surprise, he asked her and Daryl to go find another car- preferably a smaller one- for scouting ahead of the vans.

The pair continued off into the parking lot, checking for unlocked and unarmed cars. There were enough that their chances of finding one was fairly high- and it lowered the risk of car alarms going off from breaking in.

"How bout this one?" Daryl nodded to a small silver car that's door was slightly propped open from its previous owner's hasty exit. It was a newer model, small enough to be good on gas, but big enough to still be practical. Beth agreed and leaned against the back door while Daryl ducked into the car looking for keys. To his dismay, he found none.

"I'm gonna have to hotwire it." He propped the crossbow up next to Beth's leg and soon his head and shoulders disappeared under the steering wheel while he looked for wires. Deciding it was as good a time as any to remind herself of how the bow worked, Beth picked it up and settled her hands into their proper position.

The weapon was lighter than she remembered, testimony to her developed strength from her time on the road with Morgan. She wasn't going to shoot it, but for curiosity's sake she lifted it to eye level and aimed it at a car mirror some distance away. She kept both eyes open and steadied her breathing to see how steady she could keep the bow.

She moved from aim to aim, keeping watch while making it a game. She heard the engine catch and Daryl's "Finally".

She turned to put the bow down but was stopped with a "Don't."

Daryl stepped up beside her and pushed her shoulders down "Relax these more."

He heard her catch her breath as he put his hands on her hips to shuffle her weight, "And straighten these out."

It wasn't new for him to correct her with his hands, he'd done it before, but it had been a while so her reaction had been understandable.

"Much better." He let her hold the stance for another minute, waiting for his approval. She barely even shook with the weight of the bow. Finally he spoke again, smiling slightly, "A'right get in the car. I'm driving."

Beth turned to smile at him and dropped the bow to her side before walking around the car to climb in. Daryl hopped in and drove back over to Rick.

He left it running when they reached the group, but didn't have to wait long before they got moving.

Rick, Morgan and Carl ended up in the smaller car, with most of Abraham's group, plus Maggie, Glenn, Sasha and Bob in one van, with the remaining people piling into the other.

Daryl climbed into the driver's seat again, and Tyreese took up residence on the passenger side. Beth, Carol, Judith, and Michonne climbed into the back.

Beth still wasn't entirely sure where they were driving exactly, but apparently Rick had an idea, so the vans just followed the small silver car. The ride was fairly quiet, Judith only stirred occasionally, and Tyreese kept up a decent conversation. Daryl was preoccupied with the driving, when Carol leaned over to Beth.

"Were you using Daryl's crossbow earlier? I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me." She asked quietly. Beth nodded, slightly unsure why the older woman was asking. Carol seemed to understand this and expanded, "It's just that I've never seen him let someone else use it before- and you seemed to have a pretty good idea of how to use it. Did he teach you? Daryl doesn't really talk about what happened after the prison fell, up until he found Rick. He mentioned Joe and his gang, but it's like prying teeth trying to find out what it was like up until then."

Despite her confusion as to who Joe was, Beth shrugged. Carol's curiosity made sense- her friend was keeping a major part of his life a secret- but Beth knew that's just how Daryl was. He didn't talk about things all that often, especially if he had an emotional connection to them. Either way, she made sure to pick her words carefully before answering. If Daryl wanted to expand on her words he could.

"Yeah. I asked him if he'd show me how to track and hunt eventually. I didn't want to be someone he had to save all the time- I wanted to learn how to take care of myself. He showed me how." When Beth finished speaking, she flicked her eyes up to meet Daryl's in the driver's mirror. She looked a little apprehensive to be talking about something he so obviously had refused to discuss in the past, but it was just as much her past to discuss as it was his and he knew that.

"He mentioned you saved yourself." Beth couldn't help the smile that spread across her face, and Daryl happily gave into the proud look that flashed across his features.

"I guess eventually I did- but don't let him downplay the role he had. I'm not sure how things would have been different if I'd gotten out with anyone else or by myself- but I'm glad he found me." He knew from the sincere look in her eyes that she truly meant it. He'd avoided talking about their time alone because it had been painful for him to think about. The fact that he'd lost her was still touchy for him- but now that she was back, talking about their time together didn't seem so daunting.

Daryl smirked at Beth before speaking, "She was good to have around cause she always needed a purpose. Girl decided one day that rather than sit around or wander she was goin' to find a drink. Never seen anyone so determined to do something- no matter what it was- even flipped me off a few times."

"You deserved it- you were being a jerk. He refused to come with me the first time so I left, and when he eventually followed, he turned me right around and back to camp. I had no idea till we got there. It was part of the reason I wanted to learn to track- he wouldn't be able to pull the same thing on me."

The van burst into different levels of laughter at the story. Deciding to let Daryl continue for a little while, Beth sat back and listened to the gravelly sound of his voice.

"Crazy girl dragged me all the way to a golf club, and all she could find was some fucking peach Schnapps." There were cringes around the van- apparently Daryl hadn't been lying when he said it was terrible. Tyreese just shook his head, almost in shame, at Beth's naivety.

"Because smashing the bottle on the ground was a more logical course of action, right?" Beth interjected and at that Daryl actually laughed.

He 'mhmm'd' an affirmation of his actions before explaining how he'd brought her to that hunting shack with the moonshine. Both Beth and Daryl fell silent at the memory of the shack. They were both thinking back to the same conversation. They'd both said some things they would never be able to take back, but had changed everything. Beth would never talk about what happened that night as long as she lived. It was theirs- the others had no right to share in it.

Daryl looked back at Beth one more time, to see his thoughts reflected back to him through her gaze. While she may not have been the one who'd lost it- she was the one who'd put him back together. When she'd thrown herself at his back, he'd never felt anything like it in his life. Few people could ever say they'd hugged Daryl Dixon, fewer still could say they'd touched, let alone, hugged his back, where his scars resided. That fewer, being one blonde girl sitting in the back of a van.

That night, their relationship had flipped from Beth relying utterly on Daryl, to a more equal partnership. She'd confessed to finding herself to be weak- and had asked him to help her change. At that point in the night, he'd have done anything for her, the least he could do was agree to teach her some of the skills he'd lived off for most of his life.

It was also the first time he'd ever seen the strength of Beth Greene. Everything he'd said to Carol was true, Beth was strong, she'd saved herself- but she'd also taken on the responsibility of saving him. She still had no idea how much he needed saving, but a lot of that needed to be done by him. It was part of why he'd picked up that book when he was in Atlanta with Carol. Beth couldn't save him from his past, even if she was a prominent figure in his present and future. He needed to try- and that was something he'd learned from the little Greene that night. They could start over, and to do so he had to move on from his past. She'd told him to burn it down- and as he'd told Carol, even if he did burn it down, he wouldn't be reduced to ashes. He could start over. And he would. Even if he forgot, Beth would be there to remind him- not only because he'd asked, but because that's who she was. Beth Greene was strong enough for the both of them, even and especially, when he couldn't be.

"What did you think of the moonshine?" Tyreese asked- startling Daryl from his thoughts.

Beth's face scrunched up a little, "It was awful. It got better when I couldn't really taste it anymore, but by that point I wasn't going to have another."

"You got her drunk?" Michonne asked through her laughter at the Greene girl.

Before Daryl could answer Beth jumped in, "It was technically my idea. 'Sides, apparently I'm a happy drunk. Granted I won't be doing that again soon."

She purposely left out that she had also gotten Daryl drunk, but he saw fit to add it in himself. "It wasn't the smartest night, either of us had."

"You?" Carol pointed at Beth. "Got him?" Pointed at Daryl, "Drunk?"

Beth nodded and almost flipped Daryl off again at the smug look on his face.

"What's he like?" Tyreese asked.

"He's an ass." Beth directed the words at him- not really meaning them, but using them as a verbal middle finger for bringing up her poor decision-making. He started laughing at her directive and she eventually joined him. It felt amazing.

"I'm glad you had each other." Carol finally said once the laughter had died off.

"Me too." Beth said softly, looking back at the man driving the van. He took his eyes off the road one last time to see her soft, and for the first time since she'd found them- happy expression.

"Same." He mumbled quietly, so that almost no one heard him- but she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading- and please comment/let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the feedback! We're getting slightly more into the story, but I'm still trying to get a few things set up.
> 
> Anyways, I finished this one at about 4am, and I'm about halfway through chapter 6, so hopefully I can get that up this weekend.
> 
> -Lexi

They drove for hours without stopping. The entire group had passed through stretches of farmland for a good portion of the drive, but were starting to head into more wooded areas. Judith had fussed a bit, but feeding her calmed her down for a while. When she wouldn't be silenced, Daryl waved Rick down and they all pulled over.

Beth was rocking Judith back and forth when Carl came over to stand with the two blonde girls. The baby had calmed down when the car stopped moving, so the team had decided to camp in the forest surrounding the pass for the night.

"I forgot how much she loves you." Carl mentioned, looking to Beth. He'd grown taller in the time since she'd seen him last- they were at eye level now. She met the younger boy's gaze quickly before flicking her eyes away.

"It's been a while." Beth responded looking down at the little girl in her arms. It was such a familiar position that it was comforting. She knew she could contribute more than just caring for this baby now- but it didn't mean she didn't want to. She loved Judith as fiercely as if the baby was hers- she'd defend her with her life.

Carl sat on a larger rock near where Beth was pacing back and forth. He pulled his sheriff's hat off and put it on the ground next to him before holding his arms out for his little sister. Beth handed her over easily, subtly correcting Carl's hold on the baby as she did so. When Judith was situated, she sat down next to him, on the forest floor, leaning her head back against the rock and stretching her feet out in front of her.

Rick and Abraham were pouring over a map, Eugene, and Rosita not too far away. Tyreese and Sasha were putting the tent together as Maggie and Glenn strung up alert systems. Bob was setting up the fire while Michonne kept watch over the camp. Morgan stood slightly awkwardly to Michonne's side, technically on watch as well. Daryl was hunting while Carol set up traps for smaller animals to bring with them the next day.

"I'm pretty sure I'd be starting high school this year." Carl mentioned, breaking the silence- startling Beth from playing with her hands.

She didn't look up from her fingers, but they did still for a moment as she thought about what Carl had brought up.

"I'd probably be in college by now, maybe I'd have joined a sorority." She smiled softly to herself as she pictured her imaginary future.

"What were you going to study?" Beth balked at the question- realizing what it was that she'd hoped to do- and how her life had a cruel sense of humour.

"A nurse." She said bitterly. She'd always enjoyed helping her dad when he worked on animals, but she far preferred people to cows and horses. Now just the thought of working in a hospital made it hard to breathe. Carl picked up on her tone and didn't question her any further on the subject- switching the topic of discussion back to himself.

"I wanted to be a police officer like my dad for a while, but I think now I'd prefer to do something that doesn't involve shooting people. Maybe a dentist, or teaching. Who knows?"

"Did you like school?" Beth asked. "I loved it. I mean, the homework sucked, but I liked all my friends, and sometimes the stuff was interesting."

"I hated my teachers, but I liked learning. I wonder if we'll ever need those kinds of things again. Seems now the only things worth learning are those that contribute to survival. Like, if you can't hunt or build a campsite you're screwed."

His words were true- academics meant nothing now. It didn't matter what you did before if it didn't contribute to the survival of the group. It's why people like Daryl, Rick, Abraham, and who Michonne had become, flourished. Eugene had been an academic, and he relied on people to survive. Even Glenn, the pizza boy, certainly hadn't survived so far because of his past life. Andrea had survived as long as she did because she was a warrior- not a lawyer. Her law skills hadn't seen her through.

But, Beth was starting to realize, that surviving wasn't enough. She'd survived with Morgan even though she hadn't thought she'd had a future, and she was okay with it. If she survived to see another day- it was a win. Yet, being back with her family for the few days it had been- had let her see she was wrong. It was why she tried to make an effort. Surviving was just that- settling for being alive the next day. What kind of life was that?

In the hospital, she'd been so focused on getting out that the routine had been helpful. She didn't need to think about it. When she'd helped Noah get out, she did it to feel a shred of humanity. She'd killed, and restrained people like Joan. Rather than block it out, she fought. She got her friend out, and she'd been satisfied for the first time since she'd woken up in that hospital room. When Carol was brought in, she didn't stop to think about how her defiance would affect her sentence- once again she would defy their system to try and feel something human.

She knew chances were high that she wouldn't get out with Carol- but that hadn't been her goal. She knew Carol wasn't alone in Atlanta. Granted, she hadn't known it was Daryl, but she knew from the officers who brought her in that Carol hadn't been alone. The officers had been looking for Noah, and when Carol woke in the hospital, she hadn't looked surprised to be there. It became clear that Noah had told her about it. When Beth handed Carol the knife and the older woman had promised to return with help, Beth had seen the honesty in her friend's eyes.

But both women knew only one of them was going to get out- and Beth would make damn sure it was Carol. She still had business left with Dawn and the hospital. They wouldn't hurt anyone else. No one else would be in their  _debt_ again if she could help it.

And so, as soon as Carol took the knife, Beth was up and yelling. "Wait. You don't need her. She'd only cause issue for you- and we all know you leave the strong ones, taking the weak. So take me. Leave her, and add her sentence to mine."

She hoped her dad would be proud as she fought for Carol's freedom. She knew from the burn in her chest it was the right thing to do. It was what a good person would do- someone who was ensuring people lived- and surviving until they could too.

Dawn had accepted her pleas quite easily. She thought Beth would fall into line easily, and they wouldn't have to bother training Carol. Beth was a good worker. Beth was weak.

And so when Beth burned the goddamn hospital down, Dawn could only watch the girl she had called weak leave her through the smoke and burn her system to ashes.

Beth had been so sure that she would find her family- so sure she would live that she never stopped to think they would be gone. She knew they'd be hard to find, and she'd searched for weeks- barely stopping to sleep and eat. The first person she found was Morgan, and slowly, day-by-day, she began to accept the futility of her search.

Time after time, they found groups of people. They tracked them down, realized they weren't who she was looking for- and dealt with them as necessary.

Morgan was more willing to kill for what they needed, while Beth preferred to steal if there was no other option. She may have been fighting to survive, but she hated taking another life. And yet, on those unfortunate times when they came across certain groups of men- she began to learn she would need to kill to survive.

Beth's hair was like a beacon- hard to disguise, even when she plastered it with mud to keep people from seeing her. It didn't matter because time after time, she was grabbed by men who hadn't seen a girl in a long time. It was a world that these men thrived in. They stole what they wanted, and took who they wanted.

They usually tried to wait for when Morgan left to hunt, or when Beth and her companion split to look for something. When she was alone, they attacked. Words were spoken Beth would have nightmares about for the rest of her life. Situations described to her that made it hard for her to breathe when she thought about them. They groped her like Gorman.

They died just like him too.

The first time was when she had gone to check out a pharmacy while Morgan was in the sports store a few doors down. He killed them that time. When he came back with his finds, he found Beth surrounded by a group. They barely managed to turn around before they were dead.

That's when Morgan started trying to find Beth a weapon. She'd had a knife with her, and a gun for emergencies, but he wanted her to have something more. Something stronger. Her throwing knives were responsible for the next group who tried to take advantage of her.

Nightmares of Gorman and faceless men just like him haunted her- but the worst were the nights when she relived the actions this life had forced on her. She survived, sure, but she didn't live like she used to. She started to believe she didn't deserve to and so she shrank into herself to avoid her own judgment. She would never try to find a way out like she did after she saw her mother come out of the barn, but she could avoid her humanity.

It was only when she thought of Daryl that she couldn't avoid the shame she felt. She'd fought so hard for him to believe he was good no matter what he'd had to do. She'd fought so hard to help him start over. So hard to help him forgive himself. Now she hid from her own judgment of her actions. She wasn't worthy of Daryl's Beth Greene. Beth Greene didn't kill. Beth Greene was a good person

So, she locked him away into a corner of her mind and tried to remember that he was alive and he was good and that was enough.

Yet day-by-day she lost hope she'd ever find her family. That's why she was so reticent to see them all- to believe they were real when she found them.

But they were here and they were real. They were living, and it was undeniable proof she could too. She watched Daryl constantly, trying to reconcile that this man, this good man, still believed she was his Beth.

Now, sitting here with Carl and Judith, she realized that they all thought she was the same Beth. She was the same girl who probably would have gone to college and joined a sorority. It didn't matter if she was quieter. It didn't matter if she was harder; they were trying to help her find her way back to the old Beth Greene- even if they didn't realize it.

They were her proof. They were her proof that she needed to live, and sometimes living meant doing things that really didn't matter: things that didn't contribute directly to their survival. It was just something to do- to pass the time, take their minds off the world.

With that in mind, her hands stilled as she looked up at Carl, "If you want, I can teach you stuff sometimes. Maybe one day on a run we can find a textbook, or non-fiction book about something. I know the teachers sucked, but I promise I'll try and do better than them. It'll give us something to do, and you did say you liked the learning. It can't hurt to try and take some time to do that?"

Carl smiled down at her, a big, wide, smile. "I'd love that."

And Beth found herself smiling back, a big, wide, smile. "Me too."

"What's goin on over here?" Daryl had apparently returned from camping, judging by the way Carol was stringing up a squirrels over the fire. It was almost dark by now, the sun having just set.

He planted himself down beside Beth, allowing his arm to press against her arm, and his leg to stretch along hers. He'd be reticent to leave her while he went hunting, but she was preoccupied with Judith and the group needed food. She'd smiled at him a little when he'd left, as if trying to reassure him she'd be there when he got back.

"Beth's going to teach me some school stuff sometimes. She mentioned she'd be in college by now when I told her I'd be heading into high school and she offered it as something to do."

"College?" Daryl looked down at the girl next to him. She smirked a little before answering,

"I mean, I'd probably just be some dumb college bitch- might as well make some use of what I did know." He blushed a little at the memory of his attempted dig at her, but she didn't seem too bothered.

Carl on the other hand, appeared to be quite offended on his friend's behalf. "Dumb? She was going to be a nurse."

He felt, rather than saw, her stiffen next to him. Her hands almost immediately started frantically playing with each other, and her breathing changed a little. He felt the familiar flush of anger at her past situation at the hospital. He wanted to hunt them down all over again for taking her from him, but as he looked at her, all his anger changed immediately into concern. She had no colour and was fixated on her hands.

Not looking away from her he spoke, "Carl? Why don't you go take Judith over to Tyreese and see if you can help Sasha with the tent?"

As the boy agreed and headed over to the bigger man, Daryl reached over and grabbed one of Beth's hands. It was so small and pale compared to his larger tanned ones. It was just as fragile as she had once been, but now he could feel callouses and little ridges indicating scratches that had turned to scars that hadn't quite gone away yet.

At the deliberate contact, Beth turned to look up at Daryl. His blue eyes looked down into hers,

"You okay?"

She took a few deep breaths, just looking at him before she answered. "Yeah, I'm here."

Even though it wasn't much of an explanation he understood what she meant. The past was in the past. She couldn't change it, but she was trying to forward.

Amending her statement, she added, "Or, at least I will be."

He went to pull his hand out of hers, but her grip tightened on it. "Don't."

He looked at her curiously, when she brought her other hand up to hold onto his. Another breath left her body as she relaxed further.

"I just need the contact for a minute."

"S'okay." Daryl mumbled back as she started inspecting his hands. They were big and strong, calloused from use, with many more scars than she had; a testament to his lifestyle.

She was quiet long enough that Daryl spoke again, "So you're gonna start teaching Carl stuff he'd learn in school?"

"Yeah, I was thinking about finding some books next time we're on a run." She smiled a little to herself again at the idea. She loved learning, and she'd always enjoyed helping explain things to her friends.

"I'm sure we can find something." Her fingers were still playing with his hands, interlocking in different fashions, and tracing along the different muscles, eventually running up and onto his forearms. He'd never had someone touch him so carefully before, and so he found himself unable to look away as she pressed lightly on different muscles.

He couldn't help but wonder at how she was so unafraid of these arms that had killed so many people and walkers. These arms that had hit so many people, had done so much that would scare her. But here she was, running her hands up over his forearm, across some of the scars there.

He found he didn't mind as she lingered over the scars, as if she was wondering how they got there, but she never asked. He wondered what she'd think of his back. If she'd react so quietly, or if she'd be afraid of his past. Knowing Beth, she'd surprise him completely, and so he knew one day he'd be okay showing it to her. Not yet, but one day.

To distract himself, he asked her, "It'll be good for the kid. I never did finish school, but from what I remember, it'll be a good distraction."

"You're welcome to sit in." Beth teased quietly. She smiled playfully at him, making sure he knew she meant no harm with her words.

"Maybe I will sometime." He could tell from the widening of her eyes he surprised her with his answer, but he shrugged it off. He wouldn't be sitting in for the education, but he knew that if he wanted to just be around Beth, it was as good an excuse as any.

"C'mon, I think the squirrels are done." Beth sniffed the air and tugged him up, finally letting go of his arms.

They walked over to the fire, with Daryl gesturing Beth to find somewhere to sit while he grabbed one of the squirrels.

He brought it back to them along with a water bottle, seeing that she had chosen a spot near Michonne, a little ways from Maggie and Glenn. He sat down next to her and handed her the stick. She pulled some meat off before handing it back to him, turning to talk to the older woman.

They passed the squirrel back and forth, and Beth found herself constantly smiling- her slight freak out over the nursing thing had passed, and now she was surrounded by her family.

The shadows from the fire flickered across her face as she turned to Daryl to see him looking right back her.

Like always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you liked it! Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think- comment/message whatever :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> So, here's 6. We're heading into definite divergent territory- as I've included one of my theories for why somethings are happening in the show. That being said, what is revealed in this chapter is only an aspect of the story- it will not be the main plot.
> 
> While the chapters may seem quite Beth-centric at the moment, the next few will include more Daryl, and obviously Bethyl as I will have mostly covered what set up I need to do with Beth for the rest of the story.
> 
> Hope you like it!
> 
> -Lexi

"What did I tell you fingers were called?" Beth asked Carl as they walked.

"Phalanges. Right?" The boy's face split into a grin as Beth nodded encouragingly. They hadn't stopped long enough to go on a run that would yield the books they'd discussed, so Beth had settled for trying to teach him some anatomy. They were starting with the bones, and she figured eventually they'd move on to muscles. While they were still doing this as a distraction, she figured Carl having some anatomical knowledge could still be useful to the group.

The cars had run out of gas the day before, after another two full days of driving. They'd been on a pretty quiet road- Rick and Abraham had decided to try and avoid main roads and cities- so unfortunately there hadn't been any cars nearby to siphon gas from. They'd taken what they could carry and were continuing on by foot until they found another vehicle.

It was obvious Abraham was frustrated with the pace, but he was slightly mollified in that everyone was moving as quickly as they could. They weren't going to run along the road, but they were making good time on foot nonetheless.

"Did she tell you the different phalange bones? The one at the tip of your finger is the-"

"Distal- and no Maggie we hadn't gotten there yet." Beth cut her sister off as the older Greene set up to walk next to them.

Beth's tone hadn't been rude- but it wasn't exactly friendly either. Maggie had always had a quick temper, and that rose quickly as she defended herself.

"I was just tryin' to help." Beth hadn't meant to start any sort of fight when she'd spoken- she was just trying to show Maggie that she had it handled. Her sister, however, had taken her words as an attack, and if there was one thing the Greene sisters were good at, it was fighting with each other.

Neither girls' words were particular argumentative, but their tones and the tension crackling between the two indicated their interaction would end in nothing but.

They'd always gotten in arguments in the past, usually having to do with Maggie trying to control Beth- and this time would be no different. With Beth avoiding Maggie as she tried to wrap her head around her sister's failure to look for her, Maggie had been spoiling for a fight. She didn't like being ignored, and she sure as hell wouldn't put up with it from her baby sister.

"Thanks but I've got this."

"I'm the one with a degree, let me help. You didn't even get to college."

"Does that even matter anymore?" Their voices were quiet, so as not to draw Walkers' attention, but not so subtle that the group hadn't noticed. Heads flicked towards them as they continued moving.

"Maybe I just wanted to spend some time with you, considerin' you've been avoiding me these last couple of days. Come on Beth, you're my sister. I just got you back and you barely even look at me." Maggie cut straight to the issue she wanted dealt with. Beth had always preferred to beat around a topic, but her sister usually forced her to confront it immediately.

"You don't get to guilt me because I'm your sister. You don't even have the right to call me your sister." Taking her cue from Maggie, Beth leapt straight in. "Did you even look for me after we had to flee the prison? It sure as hell didn't look like it."

At Beth's words, Maggie jolted to a halt. "What did you just say to me?"

"I saw the signs Maggie. 'Glenn, go to Terminus'. You specifically failed to mention me- your only living blood relative. I mean, I know there was a slim chance I had survived- but I did. I looked for you with Daryl, and after I got out from the hospital I looked for you then. That's when I saw your signs. Too bad Terminus had gone up in smoke." Her tone was even, if a little biting.

She paused to take a deep breath to ensure her voice wouldn't raise.

"I figured you wouldn't have burned with Terminus. You're smarter than that- and so I kept looking. Yeah, after months of failure I started to give up- but despite all that I found you. And what, even after I'm assuming Daryl told you I was alive, you still chose to go to Washington? It's one thing to choose your husband over me, but it's quite another to leave the state without even tryin' to find me."

Maggie's face was burning red, "I went back to that hospital with everyone else. I watched as it went up in smoke- and then I thought there was no possibility you were alive. Thought Daryl was just lookin' for a dead girl. I would take no part in lookin' for my dead sister. That's just sadistic."

"Well apparently you didn't look for your living sister either- which is my point. I don't want to be angry with you Maggie, considering I just found you. That's why I was avoidin' you. I figured eventually I'd get over it and be able to look at you without wondering why you didn't look for me when you knew I was alive- or at least didn't know for certain I was dead. No one else seemed to have an issue believing that maybe I made it out of that hospital, let alone burned it down. No, just you Maggie: you're the only one who didn't think I could make it. So excuse me for tellin' you that you don't get to guilt me because you're my sister. You sure didn't act like it."

Neither girl had moved, and while the group had kept walking far enough to give them space, they still hovered nearby.

Daryl could almost feel the tension rolling off Beth as she stared at her older sister. While they may be fighting for a failure to act like sisters, they could be mistaken for nothing but. Their stances were the same, hands clenched, torso tense, faces like fire, and biting words. While Maggie was dark in contrast to Beth's sun- there was no way these two girls weren't related.

He had known it would happen eventually, from that first night Beth had refused to let Maggie hold on to her while she slept. To most people it had looked like Beth Greene who'd found them was slightly colder, less open to touch- but to Daryl it had been obvious. No matter how much Beth appeared to have changed, the way she had adamantly refused to believe her sister was dead when he'd travelled with her, indicated such a deep caring for the older girl that no matter who Beth became, she would have wrapped herself up in her sister unless she had a personal reason against it. In this case, she had been angry with her sister's failure- just as Daryl had been.

Even he knew he'd pushed himself to the brink of insanity searching for her after he'd lost his only lead when the hospital burned down. He'd done so because he knew without a doubt that she was alive, that she'd burned it down as a giant middle finger to those officers, and also as a signal that she was still out there.

Maggie had given up so easily despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. He'd wanted to say something, but he knew it wasn't his place. When he saw Beth avoiding Maggie, he knew it was only a matter of time before something set her off. In this case, it appeared Maggie herself had pushed the answer out.

Now, it seemed Beth had said all she wanted to as she waited for Maggie to retaliate.

"Didn't act like your sister? You have no idea what I was thinking about! I had so much to worry about and so when I thought you were dead I wasn't going to dwell on it. We don't get that luxury anymore." Maggie was yelling now, Walkers be damned. The older Greene had always had a short fuse, but while she'd been angry before, that fuse had been lit and was sparking into a fire.

"How much more could you have had to worry about other than me being alive? You'd already found Glenn, you'd found the rest of the family, and you had a plan to go to Washington. Your future was set- you just didn't factor me into it, no matter what evidence was presented to you." Beth spat back. She'd been so happy to find her family no matter what Maggie had done that she'd chosen to try to ignore her sister's actions. Now she wasn't going to waste the opportunity to tell her sister exactly what she thought of her disregard for Beth's life. What could possibly trump blood? Getting Eugene to Washington? Beth would have scoured the Earth for her family even if she knew there was a cure. The sisters prioritized most things in life differently, but Herschel had always taught them family came first.

This time, Maggie stepped up to Beth, getting close to her so her words dropped in volume, but the intensity sky rocketed. "Don't you dare pretend you knew what was goin' on."

"Then why don't you tell me?" The younger sister taunted, throwing her arms out, refusing to back up, to yield her ground. If day and night could fight, Beth and Maggie would embody it. Maggie was all spiteful anger that rolled in like a storm cloud, lingering. Beth's fury broke through Maggie's clouds like sharp rays of light. She peaked through, hitting exactly where she knew would be taken the hardest- her aptitude for understanding people had always given her this precision in fights.

Maggie hesitated briefly before narrowing her eyes at her sister. "Fine. You want to know? Yeah, I refused to risk my life for the  _possibility_ you were alive. Unless it was certain, I wasn't going to kill myself searching for you- not when someone else's life hung on the balance."

"Whose life? Eugene? You wouldn't look for me because of a fucking  _scientist_  you barely knew?"

"Don't insult me like that. Give me some credit."

"Where? I'm failing to see who else could possibly be so important."

By now, Beth was just as angry as Maggie. How dare her sister refuse to look for her even if she  _knew_  there was a possibility she was alive?

It had been a long time since the blonde had been so angry. She hadn't felt fury like this since she lit the match to burn the hospital. Yet, as hard as the anger was, it cracked the moment Maggie's eyes flicked down to her stomach.

The force of the implication sent Beth stumbling backwards as if she'd been shoved. She recoiled from her sister, trying to understand.

"No. You're not-" Flashes of Lori and what had happened to Carl and Rick rolled through her mind like a movie on fast forward. Now her sister could be the one who- No.

It all made sense: why Maggie had been so intent on getting to Washington, why this cure had been more important than her sister, why she wouldn't look for Beth unless she was certain her sister would be alive.

"Maggie-" More memories of Judith crying for her mother, and Beth having to try and substitute for her, came to mind. She thought of all the runs for food that had almost killed them, and the fear of Walkers being drawn to the baby's cries.

Daryl launched himself forward the moment Beth's knees buckled under the realization of whatever Maggie had told her sank in. He caught her under her arm just before she hit the ground, pulling her to his side. She crumpled into him, too caught up in her thoughts to notice.

"What the fuck?" Daryl turned to Maggie, who was looking forlornly at her little sister. Neither girl was angry anymore- Beth was stunned while Maggie seemed to have expected the reaction.

"It's okay. Beth, sweetie, I know it's a lot to process. I am sorry I didn't find you- but I'm so happy you're here. You have no idea." She smiled sadly to herself before walking over to Glenn who looked at her questioningly, to which she nodded and he wrapped her in a hug.

"Beth?" Even though he was holding her to him, she was so far away, lost in whatever had been thrown at her. A haunted expression resided on her features, so he settled for just holding her up while she figured out what was going on. She'd speak when she needed to.

Beth tried to get herself back in gear as she processed the fact that her sister was pregnant. She knew she had staggered, but she hadn't realized she'd been falling until Daryl had caught her. She registered being held to him, but she could do nothing but move to grip his arm in a vice like hold- trying to anchor herself.

Realistically she knew Maggie might be fine, but she'd been surrounded by worst case scenarios for so long that she couldn't stop picturing the same for her sister.

Enough.

She wouldn't think that way. Wasn't finding her family enough for her to realize that things worked out sometimes? Maggie would live. She'd have a beautiful child and live- Beth would make sure of it.

Feeling herself jerk back to reality she turned to look up at Daryl- registering the worried expression and squeezing his arm with one of her hands, trying to reassure him that she was okay. She nodded at him, taking a deep breath.

She wouldn't break anymore. Maggie, Daryl, her family, and her soon-to-exist niece or nephew needed her. She wouldn't let the thoughts of death drown her. If there was anything the old Beth Greene was good at it was optimism. She would be optimistic about this if it killed her.

Maggie would not die.

"I'm good." Beth said to Daryl as she straightened up, taking her weight back from his hold. Her arms loosened a bit but she didn't let go quite yet. "Thank you."

"What the-"

Beth shook her head to stop his question before she whispered, "She's pregnant."

Daryl's eyes widened, understanding Beth's reaction. He also thought of Lori, and this time it was his grip that tightened on Beth, as his eyes remained locked with hers, looking for some indication that this would turn out alright. He couldn't lose anymore people.

Whatever resolve he'd watched build while he held her up, reached out and grabbed him as she smiled at him a little. "It's gonna be fine."

Normally he'd take the words as empty, but Beth had always had a way of convincing him- and now, seeing her optimism, her hope, for the first time since he'd had her back, he saw his Beth climbing up and over her walls. He nodded back at her, his resolve building with hers. He might not be sure about Maggie, but he was certain about Beth and her belief was enough. It would be fine.

Rick watched as Daryl held Beth up after catching her, the girl obviously shocked by her sister's revelation. Her expression remained blank for a while, the older man holding most of her weight while she tried to catch her breath. He knew there was a relationship between the two, but he was still trying to decide what it was- just like them.

Being stuck with someone for weeks allowed for a certain insight into who they were. They had to get close, and they had to learn to trust each other. While he'd thought they'd hate each other, and they probably did for a while- hearing Daryl try to tell him Beth was gone, then watching him search for her, and seeing how Beth reacted when she'd found them, going straight to Daryl- he knew they'd become more than forced companions.

They trusted each other completely, and he could understand that. That's why he knew it had been instinct for Daryl to take Beth into that supermarket with him, and to run to catch her when she fell. They'd been forced to become partners, and somehow they'd found something in each other they each needed.

Daryl had never been good with people, always seeming like he might attack if they got to close. The night before, he'd seen Daryl comfort Beth after Carl had come back to the group, looking rather contrite, he'd said something that had brought something painful up for Beth. The redneck had just sat patiently while the blonde caught her breath- seeming to know exactly what sheneeded.

The change in Daryl was testimony to Beth's influence on him. Beth was good at taking care of people, but not herself. Yesterday as well, Rick had seen Beth move Daryl's crossbow with practiced ease, and just now- he never would have thought Beth would have it out with her sister in the middle of a road. Michonne had told him about how in their van, she'd listened to them recount some of their past travels, and he'd been surprised that Beth had stood up to Daryl, but it was obvious she had gained confidence in herself. The Beth that Daryl had trained had tracked them down. The fact that the blonde had burned down a hospital demonstrated how much her time with Daryl had changed her. Maybe her strength had been there all along but Daryl brought it out.

Now, they relied on each other. Whether they were partners, friends, or more, was still confusing. No one in the group understood the relationship- they just accepted that it was there. It was obvious from the way Daryl let go of Beth when he turned to the group to see some of them staring at their hold on each other made it clear he was uncomfortable with the attention. Judging by how Beth stepped to a more appropriate distance, demonstrated the same thing.

They might be okay being open with each other while alone, or in small groups, but being stared at by the group was a whole other story. Beth had no idea what was going on with her and Daryl, but she wasn't going to avoid it for the sake of their images in the group. That being said, she wasn't comfortable exploring it while on display.

As they caught up with the group and they all started walking again, it was an unspoken agreement that Daryl would keep the information Beth had shared with him to himself. She trusted him enough to explain why she had reacted the way she had, but it wasn't their information to tell anyone else.

For now, they'd just continue to Washington and hope once they got there everything would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it- please comment/let me know :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually in shock over what just happened in the MSF. I hate it and I'm crying I DON'T GET WHY THAT HAPPENED. 
> 
> Either way, I wrote this yesterday, and I'm halfway through the next chapter. I read through it quickly but I haven't edited it, I figured I'd just post it after that whole debacle for some happiness. I'm going to finish this story TWD writers be damned. Here's what I wanted. Obviously the rest of this story is going to be completely AU. 
> 
> I'm so sorry guys tonight was... really something else. RIP.
> 
> Anyways, hopefully you like the chapter. Message me if you want to cry with me.
> 
> -Lexi

Beth could feel Daryl shifting awkwardly next to her while they ate near the campfire. They’d been travelling for a few days, each day the same- walk, hunt, eat, sleep. Every night Daryl sat next to her at the campfire, and usually he just sat quietly, devoured whatever small game they’d managed to find, before getting up for watch, and eventually falling asleep near Beth, but still a respectable distance away. 

This night was no different from the others, but he was fidgeting more than usual, shifting his weight from side to side, picking up his crossbow and putting it back down, checking to see if it was loaded each time. 

“You good?” Beth asked as he started his eighth cycle of movement. He turned to look at her as if he were surprised she noticed before shrugging and making a brief non-committal noise. Beth’s gaze shifted to seek out Daryl’s as she nudged him with her shoulder,

“Don’t ‘mhmm’ me. What’s up?” She asked playfully, before getting quieter as she remembered the last time she’d tried to get something out of him.

Daryl almost smiled at Beth’s words, watching while she got quieter, obviously remembering back to the funeral home. He’d been so happy with just her, and so comfortable. He hadn’t understood the feelings, but he’d recognized them for what they were, and was surprised to find he was okay with them. He wanted this girl, that much was clear. Yet, before she could say anything, the damn house was flooded with Walkers and thus began one of the worst nights of his life.

Now, he let his eyes show his amusement before shrugging again, “I just don’t like ‘em looking is all.”

He’d tolerated it for the first couple nights; everyone watching him interact with Beth, trying to figure out what was going on. Now it was bothering him that they were all still staring, as if they were waiting for something to happen. To be honest, he was waiting for something to happen, but he wasn’t sure what that something was. 

Beth seemed to understand what he was getting at as she answered quietly, “They’re gonna look. It’s what they do. They don’t get it, so they’re trying to make sense of it.”

“They shouldn’t care.” The main issue for Daryl was the same thing he’d worried about briefly before he allowed himself to at least try to confess his feelings to the girl next to him that night in the funeral home. Again, when he’d asked her if she would even have spoken to him if they’d met in the old world. He knew things were different now, but that didn’t make it any easier to get his head around it. Who would ever understand a relationship between the two of them?

If nothing else they were complete opposites. She was young, while he was obviously her elder. She was good at talking to people, he was not. She had a good upbringing, his was the stuff of nightmares. She was ultimately good, while he was just chasing after that light, hoping some of it would shine on him. 

Her light was addicting: he could see why Merle would do anything for those drugs. Hell, he’d chased after her all night. He’d tracked her to an abandoned city. He’d led an army to find her. He may not understand why she chose to bestow this light on him, but he wasn’t going to question it. He was going to take as much as he could get until she chose to move on. 

Her next words forced his heart to skip a couple beats, “They don’t matter. It’s you and me against the world right?” 

She was looking at him in a way he couldn’t tear his eyes away from. God, she took his breath away. 

“Not anymore?” He phrased it as a question, hoping she’d pick up on his uncertainty.

“It can be. Just because we found them, doesn’t mean we have to change.” The hope in her eyes was blinding- something he’d missed and would do anything to continue to keep in her eyes. Unfortunately, he still needed her to help him get over the the unconventional terms of their relationship. 

“We’ve got an audience. All the fucking time.” He shook his head in frustration but she nudged him again with her shoulder, her voice still low and thoughtful as she answered him.

“That’s their business. This is ours.” She left her shoulder against his briefly, reassuring him of whatever this was through the thing he understood best: actions. 

He leaned into the contact briefly before looking to her for clarification. What was theirs? He still had no idea what was going on. They hadn’t managed to talk about what happened at the funeral home, and while now wasn’t the time, surrounded by their family, he needed some clarification to continue on with.

Beth understood his unspoken query and looked down at her fingers again, starting to fiddle with them- nervous again. He restrained himself from grabbing them and making her focus, but he knew it would be better for both of them if he gave her a little time to figure out what she wanted to say.

“I don’t understand what’s happening. All I know is that finding you, and the rest of our family, but mostly you, was in my every thought when I woke up in the hospital. When I saw the tracks that led us to you I thought I was dreaming. I still do sometimes, I can’t believe this is real. But it is. You’re here everyday, and while Morgan gets me, you know me. Whatever it is that started that night at the funeral home, I want to figure it out. I don’t know what it is, or what it’ll be but we deserve the chance to get it, and the only time we have is with all these people around.”

She smirked a little at him, which once again stopped his heart as she spoke the following words, “So fuck them and whatever it is they’re going to think. I decided to stop only believing in worst case scenarios, so this is me, asking you to give whatever we’ve got a chance. We’ve only got so much time, but we deserve to make the best of it. At least, I want to try to.”

Her gaze held him captive as he tried to organize his thoughts together into a coherent sentence. It wasn’t working, and all he could think about, much like these past few months, was one damn word. So he said it, and hoped she got it.

“Oh.”

Her smile widened to a full on grin at his word choice. This time, it was he who leaned over and pushed her shoulder a little with his. She tilted her head briefly and let it rest on his bicep before picking it back up and turning back to the campfire to refocus on the people around them. 

People were watching them, but this time he found he didn’t really care. 

***   
It was no surprise to him when Beth laid her stuff next to Daryl’s later in the night when it was time to sleep. Abraham and Tara were on watch, as he’d stayed up the night before. 

He couldn’t help but stiffen a little when Beth got closer than expected. She wasn’t touching him, but she was close enough that he could feel her body heat. He wasn’t upset or off-put, he was just a little shocked. While he had heard her speech earlier, and understood what she was saying, he hadn’t thought that she’d start acting on it that night. He hadn’t thought she’d get that close. But then again, maybe he was misreading her intention that night entirely.

So he asked her, “You still mad at Maggie?” 

While he was just as shocked as everyone would be once they found out, he knew that it was more of a complex situation for Beth. She had been angry with her sister, as was her right, but now she struggled to understand where to put the anger. Maggie was pregnant, and while that would change everything- it didn’t change the fact that she’d left Beth to die, or at least assumed she would. 

“I’m confused.” He waited while she picked her words. He already knew she wasn’t sure of what to make of the situation, but Beth always had more to say. “I feel guilty for being angry with her when I’m away from her, but when she’s near me I can’t help it.”

Then she startled him even further. “Things make sense when I’m around you, so I hope this is okay, but I need something to make sense tonight. I’m not tryin’ to push you or anything- I said a lot earlier that I know you need time to process, but I just need a little stability if that’s alright.”

It was strange to hear part of the feeling put into words: things make sense. Beth didn’t make sense to him. The way he felt about her didn’t make sense. The way she apparently felt about him didn’t make sense. And yet, when she was near him it didn’t matter. It was just… right. 

He was never going to be able to voice it, the word’s would always get stuck in his throat, and he wasn’t about to go and talk about his damn feelings, but he knew she understood him. 

So, he reached out and took her hand. It was still so small, but when she gripped back, strong. Their hands were both scarred and strong now. While he didn’t like what she’d gone through, the strength in their grip was a comfort: an anchor. He knew she needed it, and he wasn’t going to pretend he didn’t like having her close to him. 

Beth knew Daryl was uncomfortable with having any sort of affectionate contact with her in public. He probably always would be, but she found that she didn’t mind that much. Their relationship had always been quiet and subtle. Little things made up the big picture, she just had to look for the signs. 

Just like she’d said to him, she wasn’t going to push him. Daryl was flighty when it came to feelings. He was never going to tell her anything to confirm what she picked up from him, but she was confident in that he allowed her to read him. While she was unsure of what would happen, she knew him letting her hold his hand was a big thing. The fact that he’d initiated it was even bigger. 

They’d held hands the night she’d found him, in a very similar position to this one, granted Daryl had been sitting not lying down. She knew that it had been instinct for them to hold onto each other to prove they weren’t going to disappear. It had also been instinct that had led Daryl to let her hold onto him when Carl had triggered a few of her memories. When she’d collapsed in shock from Maggie’s news, he’d caught her. She hadn’t seen it, but given the ground he’d covered in the few seconds it had been, she knew he hadn’t hesitated. 

Daryl allowed her hold onto him when he knew she needed it. She wouldn’t forget that day at the cabin when she’d latched onto him for his own sake though. He needed her as well, they just needed to understand this dependancy on each other. 

When she’d tried to explain it to him, they’d been surrounded by their family. Now, he was letting her hold his hand because he thought she needed him- and while she did, she also just wanted to hold his hand.

That’s what she needed to show him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you liked it. Thanks for reading and please comment :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm still not over the finale, but here's another chapter :)
> 
> Stay strong guys.
> 
> -Lexi

Beth woke up the next morning curled into Daryl’s side, with her hand still wrapped up in his. She was technically still on the ground, but her head was tucked in just next to his chest, and her legs were pressed against his. Their entwined hands where resting just above his waist, as if he’d tried to bring his hand up to his face in the middle of the night and then realized it was otherwise occupied and left it halfway up his body.

He wasn’t moving, as he would if he were awake, but his carefully measured breathing gave him away. He wasn’t sleeping anymore but she smiled at his attempt to appear so. Never the less, she rolled away from him and started to sit up, leaving her hand where it was. 

Daryl shifted from his ‘slumber’ when he felt Beth get up next to him. He sat up as well, their hands dropping to his thigh. She turned a sleepy smile to him before loosening their hands and letting go to push herself up off the ground.

“Morning.” She spoke softly, and he mumbled a response to her light encased form. The sun was behind her, turning her hair to liquid gold. She turned to the sun before wincing and turning back to him as he stood up as well.

Beth had always admired the grace with which Daryl moved. He wasn’t a small man, rather tall and harshly, but leanly, muscled. He unfolded himself from the ground and moved to stand in one fluid motion, managing to grab his crossbow and bag in the same smooth movement. 

The sun shone from behind her onto his face, lightening the blue of his eyes as he squinted at her. He flicked his hair out of his eyes as she curled her hands into a ball to keep from brushing it to the side herself. 

Daryl was a lot like one of those large predatory cats she’d learned about in biology. He was fluid, and strong. Beautiful and wild. Granted he had no idea that he was attractive, few people had probably ever told him, but he was in a rough sort of way. He was all harsh lines and shadow, while she knew she was soft and light. She’d noticed he was attractive back at the prison, but she’d just accepted it and moved on. He was all masculine and power- a combination that was hard for anyone to ignore. She’d thought that Carol had laid claim to him back then, and she’d had Zach so she never really thought on it. When she’d been forced to spend every minute with him after the fall of the prison, with no one else around, it was harder to ignore but she had chosen to prioritize their survival. Now, she didn’t feel as guilty looking at him. 

Speaking of the older woman, Beth turned away from Daryl to find Carol. She’d been staring long enough to make him blush a little, so she parted ways with a soft goodbye before going to talk to the other lady.

Everyone was packed up and ready to go, and she’d been meaning to ask Carol about Noah since she’d found them without the other boy. She was convinced she’d been with him in Atlanta, and she had noticed his distinct lack of presence.

“Hey.” Beth announced her presence as she came up to Carol. The other woman turned to her,

“Hi. Sleep well?” Her smile didn’t quite meet her eyes but Beth ignored it. She nodded in affirmation before adjusting her stance to make it clear she was planning on walking with Carol for a while.

They started moving forwards, around the middle of the group just behind Eugene and Tara. 

“So I’ve been meaning to ask you, what happened to Noah?” Her question was quiet, but she didn’t want to waste time with small talk. She’d waited long enough to ask. When Carol had been brought in Beth was convinced she’d seen Noah. 

Carol started a little, jerking her head towards Beth as if she wasn’t quite expecting the question.

“What do you mean?”

“I know the officers who brought you in were looking for Noah, and you didn’t exactly seem to surprised to be in the hospital. The only person who knew what was going on in the entire city who was outside the operation when you were brought in was Noah- so I figured you’d seen him. I was just wonderin’ what happened to him. Did he-“ She trailed off, hoping Carol would understand the unspoken question.

“He isn’t dead. He came with us to the hospital when we tried to get you out but found it already destroyed. Originally Daryl and I ran into him when we followed one of the crossed cars into Atlanta. He stole most of our weapons but we ran into him again while we were trying to get a vantage point on the hospital.”

She paused to take a breath, “Daryl found this pamphlet for Grady Memorial in a van hanging off the bridge and when we went to figure out the best plan to find you we ran into Noah who’d been trying to do the same thing. He mentioned that the hospital people were looking for him and Daryl got it out of him that he knew you. From there we were running to the hospital when I was hit by the officers and you found me from there. Later, when I caught up with the group we tracked back to the hospital with Noah and found it burned down. Trust me when I say that no harm came to Noah. Daryl basically attached the boy to his hip- he was his only connection to finding you.”

Carol turned her head to look back at Daryl for a moment before continuing on with her recap. He was walking at the back of the group, looking up at Beth occasionally before turning to listen to Carl.

“Daryl was pretty lost after we found the hospital. I mean, he was okay but he didn’t really know what to do. He had no leads for you, so he agreed to go to Washington on the condition that he could look for you along the way. I helped him as much as I could, honestly he was furious with me for leaving you at the hospital. He searched like a man possessed, every night, every time we stopped. He started being more careless in his tracks, hoping if you were alive you’d find them. I guess you did.”

Beth turned back to look at Daryl this time, her breath catching in her throat. She’d had an idea that he’d looked for her, and Maggie had told her that he’d lost his shit when he lost her but she had no idea the extent to which he pushed himself. 

He looked up at her to catch her gaze, the intensity of the affection in her eyes taking him by surprise. He dropped his eyes quickly but smiled to himself a little before turning back to listen to Carl, eyes flicking up to see that Beth had returned to her conversation with Carol.

“Noah had heard of this safer town before he’d been taken. He wanted to keep looking for you, but he wasn’t exactly meant for a life on the run if you know what I mean. That being said, he felt he owed you. He said you saved him and he owed it to you to find him. Rick convinced him it was okay that he needed to stop. So Noah and this priest Gabriel that we found along the way stayed there.”

As soon as Carol mentioned Noah’s feeling of obligation to her for Beth “saving” him, the familiar tightness of living at Grady Memorial took up residence in her chest. Noah didn’t owe her anything. She got him out to feel human; she got him out because she wanted to. She never meant for him to feel obligated to find her. 

Once again she found herself turning to Daryl, dropping back from Carol to stand next to him while she tried to catch her breath. He didn’t say anything, just let her brush her shoulder against his, allowing the safety net of his presence to surround her while she reminded herself that Noah was okay and so was she. No one owed anyone anything.

When she could speak again she looked up at the man next to her, “Thank you for taking care of Noah as long as you did.”

So that’s what she’d been talking to Carol about. Daryl had seen the concentrated look on her face while she listened to the older woman tell her a story about something- apparently it had been Noah. He wondered how much Carol had told Beth about his possessed search for her, but judging by the affectionate way she’d looked at him before- she had a pretty good idea. He wasn’t ashamed by how single-minded he’d been. He would never be ashamed of the fact that he’d believed in her. 

He went to respond when she started to speak again, much quieter this time, but her tone was infinitely warmer- wrapping itself around him, encasing him in her words. “Thank you for looking for me.”

She brought her hand up to touch his arm just once, but he grabbed it to keep her attention on him. For the same reason he felt he needed to tell her that he cared about her at the funeral home, he felt he needed to drive this point home. The fluttering in his stomach was back, and the usual reflex to shove his words back down his throat was there, but he pushed past it. He needed her to know.

“I will always look for you.” His voice was deep and rough as he spoke with a conviction she’d only heard a few times in the year she’d known him. The last time was when he told her that he’d missed her- it was a tone that indicated that he needed her to understand. 

So, in the best way she could at the moment, she tried to tell him that she got it. She understood. Just like at the funeral home she looked at him, tilted her head and said, “Oh.” 

Daryl’s smiles were rare, but he smiled at her response. It stretched the corners of his mouth, a little crooked, but crinkled his eyes in happiness. She knew. 

To break the serious tone, he added, “Thanks for finding us- guess ya learned somethin’ after all.” 

Beth laughed and everything was right.

***  
The next time they stopped, they were in the forest again, but this time they’d found an abandoned campsite that had probably been used by a camp. There was a fire pit surrounded by a ring of logs, with some other stone and log benches scattered through the area. The trees cast a circle of shadows around the flickering firelight, but there was enough space for the moon to shine through the trees, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere.

The general mood was quite happy around the fire. Daryl had managed to find a deer, so they had all eaten well. Judith was giggling as Carl played with her while Rick and Michonne looked on. Sasha and Bob, Maggie and Glenn were wrapped up in each other, talking quietly. Abraham and Rosita were even having a pleasant conversation, her hand on his leg, and his arm around her waist. Tyreese chatted with Carol as they finished cleaning up the rest of the dinner. Morgan was cleaning his weapons near Rick but still fairly far away.

Beth and Daryl were in a slightly more secluded area, not far away from everyone, but enough of a distance that they were on their own. Both were breathing slightly easier at the lack of people surrounding them. Daryl sat perched on an overgrown part of a tree, sticking out just enough that he could sit on it and lean back against the trunk. 

Beth had seated herself on the ground, but chose to lean back on the tree, next to Daryl, resting her head back on his thigh while she looked on at her family. 

After a long silence, Beth looked up the sound of pages turning. What she saw nearly took her breath away, but she kept her face schooled in a neutral expression, the only give away were her eyes lingering a little bit too long. 

Daryl was reading a book about treating survivors of childhood abuse. She knew he’d been abused, it was obvious in the way he spoke about his father and burned down the shack with her, a reminder of his past, but she’d never known. Nor had she ever thought he’d be the type to read self-help books.

He noticed her look just as he noticed everything. Her eyes found his face again as he spoke, “Ya said we gotta leave it behind, start over. I’m tryin’.” 

He blushed a little, brushing the hair out of his eyes in what she had noticed was a nervous habit of his. He wouldn’t meet her eyes, but she reached out to brush against the arm closest to her. Her words had the same conviction as his had earlier and she wanted him to see her, wanted to make sure he understood the gravity of what she was trying to say.

“I’m glad.” She was more than glad. She was proud. She would never understand what it was like to be abused, but she admired how he was trying to put it behind him. He was trying to move forward. The fact that he was trying, showed her how much this man wanted to be surrounded by the good in his life. He was trying to leave his past in the dark and move on. She couldn’t voice it, it wasn’t her place to be proud of him but it didn’t change that she was.

She knew that he could see everything in her gaze though as he only met it for a second. He cleared his throat and went back to the pages, turning another. 

The slight upturn of one corner of his mouth gave him away. He knew she’d understand that he got it. He understood, and the affection that had returned to her gaze filled him with a warmth he still wasn’t quite sure what to make of.

He’d never talked to anyone in the past about what had happened to him, but the book sort of understood. It made points that made sense. He absorbed the words for a while longer before looking back down to the blonde weight on his leg. Tingles shot through him everywhere she touched, but they were good. He wasn’t uncomfortable; he didn’t want her to move. He liked her touching him, unlike any other person.

He thought she’d fallen asleep but he saw that she was still awake, just watching. Her hands were still in her lap- she was relaxed for the first time since she’d found them.

“Aren’t ya bored?” He asked quietly. 

“Nah. I like just watching.” She smiled up at him.

“Y’can go sit with ‘em if ya want. I ain’t exactly one for good company.”

She huffed out a little air in a bit of a snort, “Daryl, trust me- I’m good right here.” 

“Suit yerself.” 

“I will thank you very much.” This time he was the one who chuckled a little at her indignant tone, letting his instincts take over and playfully pushed her head because he wanted to.

She looked up at him shocked but laughed and rather than letting him take his hand back, she grabbed it and held on, threading her fingers through his.

He shifted position a little to let his arm dangle to the side and gripped her fingers a little tighter. 

Beth let out a little sigh as she pulled their hands to rest on her shoulder, tilting her head to use them as a headrest. 

She let her lips quirk up a little as Daryl let her keep his hand. She didn’t need comfort this time. They weren’t surrounded by people, it was just the two of them and they were holding hands. 

She wasn’t lying when she said she wasn’t bored. She liked to watch everyone. She liked to remind herself it was real, that everyone was there and for the time being, very happy.

Eventually Beth fell asleep, still sitting up, but her held fell to the side and her hand tugged Daryl’s farther forward. Her breathing evened out and her hair fell across her face. He smiled down at the girl who’d passed out holding his hand.

He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve this girl, as far as he was concerned she should be as far away from him as possible but he wasn’t going to question it. He was just going to thank whoever was listening for this beautiful, good, strong, amazing girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hopefully you liked it- please let me know :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks so much for the feedback, you guys are amazing and I'm so happy you like what's been happening so far. I love hearing what you think- it makes my day.
> 
> Here's chapter 9. I know it's taking a while, but Beth and Daryl have a lot to work out before they'll be together. This chapter however, is a giant leap forward in that. Soon guys, soon ;)
> 
> I'm heading into finals but I'll try and get an update out within the next week
> 
> Hopefully you like it!
> 
> -Lexi

“Okay, so list the first 5 presidents of the US.” Beth instructed Carl as they sat in one of the new vans they’d picked up. Once again the group was travelling in two vans and a scout car they’d picked up a the day before. This time Daryl was riding with the two cops. Rick and Tara had formed quite a nice friendship, they bonded over stories of their time as police officers, joking about people they’d picked up and things at the station. 

Things with Maggie and Beth were still tense but a little easier. Neither were hostile, Beth was just unsure how to act around the older sister. She was still confused, and so she was in the van with Michonne, Sasha, Bob, Carl and Judith. 

The drive had been uneventful, peaceful even. Beth was still quizzing Carl who was rather eager to learn. They’d covered off bones of the body and had moved onto history. They’d have to pick up books eventually but for now they were working off what Beth could remember off the top of her head- with input from the other people in the car. 

“What’s going on up there?” Beth asked as the scout car started swerving across the dirt road. “Pull over!” 

She yelled as the car spun into a ditch on the side of the road. There was a crash and the squealing of tires, followed by the scream of brakes as the vans pulled to a halt. Beth thrust a now crying Judith at Carl before launching herself out of the car. 

Daryl.

Smoke rose from the black car as it lay in the ditch, flipped but not crumpled. Rick pulled himself out the driver side, and then Tara from the backseat. Beth crouched down by the passenger side. Her heart had leapt from her chest and was beating rapidly. He had to be okay. 

“Daryl?” She called through the window. She could see him through the shattered glass. There was a lot of blood but with a groan he rolled his head towards her slightly. His eyes opened a little and the tightness in her chest lessened slightly. He was alive.

“Help me!” She yelled up to her companions before she reached into the car, ignoring the glass scratching at her arms as she cut the seatbelt free. 

She staggered out of the way as Abraham and Tyreese came forward to pull Daryl out of the car. It was a slow process, but Daryl was conscious enough to help by adjusting his position. That however didn’t change the slight groans of pain that came from him as they pulled him through the window. Beth rubbed the blood from her own scratches off with her sweater, there wasn’t much anyways. 

As soon as he was free from the wreckage she was by his side, propping him up and inspecting his injuries. They weren’t serious but there was glass everywhere. Some pieces were bigger and were embedded in his arm and back. A few smaller pieces had found their way to his chest, but nothing life threatening. She allowed herself to breath a sigh of relief. 

“Okay everyone needs to move. We’ll get him cleaned up.” Carol came through the crowd of people, Bob immediately behind her holding a first aid kit. 

Everyone parted except Beth. She didn’t move, but continued to hold Daryl up, ignoring how much weight he was allowing to lean on her. She was careful to not touch any of the glass. He shifted a little to see the two people approaching but whined under his breath as she could only assume the glass twisted in further.

“It’s worst back here.” Beth commented to Bob, indicating his back with her head. He nodded and moved to come around before Daryl ground out a harsh,

“Don’t.”

“Daryl.” Rick’s tone indicated that while he was scared he was angry his friend was refusing treatment. 

“I’ll do it. Leave the kit.” The redneck tried to reach for the first aid box before his arm dropped and Beth had to adjust her hold as more weight fell to her. 

“Daryl come on, there’s too much glass for you to get it yourself.”

He turned to glare at her, his gaze showing exactly how much pain he was in, but he was refusing to yield to it. There was also a slight amount of fear present in his eyes that he covered up with his hostile expression.

“Then how bout you do it huh? You worked in a hospital didn’t ya? Gotta have learned something.” His words were harsh and biting. Beth flinched back. She knew he was in pain and tended to lash out when that happened, but it didn’t mean the words didn’t hurt. 

“I’m going to ignore you just said that.” She met his gaze unflinchingly and his gut clenched as he regretted his words immediately. He was afraid of people seeing his back and he’d lashed out at the closest person- unfortunately it was Beth. 

Beth watched as regret ran across his features through the pain.“But fine. Bob, give me the kit.” 

Even though he’d gone about it the wrong way, Daryl was glad that if anyone had to do this, it would be Beth. They’d been close emotionally but he’d never had a physical relationship with her. That being said, he knew the day she’d see his back was coming, but he wasn’t prepared for it to be so soon.

He stayed silent as she started plucking the glass shards that were stuck in his vest out as carefully as possible. She was gentle but it still hurt. The rest of the group had dispersed to the vans, leaving Beth to attend to Daryl.

“There are a few that are going to leave gashes that I’m going to have to stitch on your back. I’m gonna need to get the vest off.”

He tensed immediately, “Just gimme a sec.” 

Beth didn’t understand his reluctance but she could tell by how tense and nervous he was that this was something big for hunter. Daryl was normally so fearless but this was freaking him out. She nodded, respecting his request, and settled for moving to clean and pick the glass out from his arms, trying to ignore how nicely shaped they were. She felt awful for noticing at a time like this, but they were quite something.

By the time she was finished with both arms, she had to crouch in front of him as she carefully pulled the shards of glass from his chest. One delicate palm rested on his hard chest as she balanced herself. His heart beat quickly but strongly underneath her hand. She took note of the tattoo that took residence on his side, just peaking under the jacket- aching to trace it with her fingers. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind, trying to focus on the task in front of her. 

She tried desperately to work quietly and gently but he was pale and shaking slightly from the combination of his nerves and the energy he was exerting to hold himself up. She didn’t use her words to tell him it was time for her to see his back, she just stopped what she was doing and looked at him until he eventually picked his head up to meet her gaze. He nodded resignedly at the intention.

“Are ya mad at me for what I said bout the hospital?” He asked quietly, not quite acknowledging what needed to happen. He didn’t want her to be angry with him at all, let alone at this very moment. He hadn’t pictured when he’d have to show her his back but he hadn’t thought it would be on the side of a dirt road after making some brash comment about a time in her life she was obviously still struggling to move past.

“I get it.” She tilted his head up, forcing him to look at her so he could see that she meant her words. “I mean I don’t really, but I know you didn’t mean it. It’s okay.”

“I just get-“ He trailed off, not really surprised when she nodded. She understood that he wasn’t being hostile on purpose, it was just his instinctual reaction when he was hurt, afraid or both: he lashed out.

“Can I?” She’d already pulled the pieces out from his back, but she needed to stitch the gashes there. He nodded and reluctantly moved his arms so she could work the vest off. 

Beth was careful not to tear or stretch his prized angel winged vest as she pushed it over his broad shoulders then moved behind him to pull it off. She could hear the hiss of air he released as the cuts that covered his torso pulled with the movement. She tried to stay as silent as she could, keeping her reaction to herself as the vest pulled away to reveal a back already covered in scars.

Purple ridges scattered across his back, indicating a childhood she could never imagine. Some ran up to his shoulder while others crossed his lower back. Some were longer than others, some deeper, while others ran shorter. There were a couple tattoos there, but nothing could cover the lifetime of pain written across his back.

Beth took a deep breath before she reached for the surgical thread and scissors. “Let me know if I hurt you.”

“S’fine.” 

His shoulders remained tense, the muscles contracted to make a hard surface. “Daryl, you gotta relax a little.” 

He turned to her with a disbelieving expression across his face. He couldn’t relax when everything was was bared to her. He had hidden his past for as long as he could remember. He’d never brought it into conversation, rather he shut it down every time. He never even removed his shirt in public. Sure, some people had seen it: Herschel, and Rick. Carol had an idea, and he’d mentioned enough to Beth that she knew something. She, and a few others had seen him reading the book but no one knew. He had never shown anyone his scars. And now, how could he relax when she didn’t speak and he could only imagine the thoughts running through her mind?

The disdain in his expression forced her to reword as carefully as possible. Beth still wasn’t sure what to say, but obviously telling him to relax was a bad idea, even if she needed him to in order to stitch him up properly.

“You can trust me with this.” His shoulders dropped a little, but not all the way. His head turned towards her a little more, still not quite meeting her gaze.

“Yer not afraid?” His voice was quiet, small, shaking, and it broke her heart. 

The fact that he thought she was afraid of him because of what he’d gone through cut through her like a knife. She moved around to his front, not bothering to hide her emotions.

Daryl watched as she came around to face him, her eyes like fire. She moved so she was directly in his line of sight, grabbing his face with both her hands, gently but with intention. Nothing was hidden from him as emotions raced across her face.

She was not afraid.

“I am not afraid of you. I will never be afraid of you. Okay?” 

Beth was mad. She was mad at his father, and mad at the world for allowing this to happen to someone as good as Daryl. Someone who had been so apparently young when these scars from long ago branded his skin. She was mad that this happened to him.

Beth was sad. She was sad that he had had to grow up this way. Her sadness punched her in the gut as she remembered back to the shack when he yelled at her about her upbringing. She understood now why he was so angry with her. Her life had been everything his hadn’t, and she’d unintentionally thrown it in his face. She was sad because he didn’t deserve this, no one did.

Beth was proud. She was proud that he had learned to live with the scars. She was proud that he had burned that shack with her, burned the past that had left him scarred. Proud that he was trying to start over.

Beth was honoured. She was honoured this man let her see this. It wasn’t his choice considering the situation but she was honoured he was letting her help him nonetheless. She was honoured he trusted her.

Beth was in awe of him. She was in awe of all that he had survived. She was in awe of his strength, of his capacity to live. She was in awe of his will to continue to look for the good, in his fight for a better future. She was in awe of this strong, beautiful, ultimately good man.

Beth was not afraid of him. She was afraid of being without him, but never of him. 

Daryl saw the tears in her eyes but he also saw her refusal to let them fall. He saw the conviction in her eyes that she didn’t fear him. What he saw there instead was a combination of emotions that melded into an affection so strong it slammed into him like that car crashing into the ditch. He stopped breathing. No one had ever looked at him like that. No one had ever looked at him like he was that important to them, like they were afraid of being without him, like they loved him.

He didn’t know what to say, so he just raised his hands and placed them over hers on his face. He turned his head into her palm as she brushed her thumb along his cheek to wipe away the tears he was unaware that had fallen. 

“‘Kay.” He whispered, knowing words were needed, and she nodded. Letting go before going back behind him and sitting down, one leg stretched out along his side.

“This is gonna hurt.” 

“Jus’ do it.” So, they took a deep breath and she sewed him back together. 

He had been rash when he’d made his comment about her working in the hospital, but her hands were deft and skilled. She stitched quickly and efficiently, tugging as little as possible. She was done before he knew it, wrapping gauze around him. 

She stayed behind him, and he could tell she wasn’t moving- just looking. He didn’t tense up again, but he wasn’t comfortable. It would be a long time before he was comfortable with someone looking at his back. 

When her arms wrapped gently around him from behind for the second time in his life, his heart stuttered to a stop. He could feel hers beat strongly, before one tear dripped onto his shoulder. She was careful not to press onto any of the cuts, but she still managed to take some of his weight while he caught his breath. 

Her small body clung to his, wrapping around him, her hair brushing his, fingers gripping his shoulders. Her shirt brushed the scars across his naked back, something he had never felt in his life. Yet, Beth was the only one who had ever touched his scars and it didn’t feel wrong. It was okay, surprisingly. He brought one hand up and wrapped it around her wrist. He didn’t mean to brush the scar there, but she didn’t seem to care. 

“Daryl.”

“Mhmm?” His thumb brushed unconsciously across the scar, to which she responded by tightening her grip on him, not pressing into him any harder, just holding him closer to her. Everything was instinct with her and it worked.

“You’re the best person I know.” Her words were slow and softly spoken, almost as if she wasn’t sure whether or not she wanted to say them out loud. Her heart skipped twice, he could feel it reverberate through him. 

Beth could feel his breathing stutter, but she didn’t regret saying the words. She meant them, and she wanted him to know. Everything was in the open at that moment, so she wasn’t going to hide it from him. He responded by leaning his head into hers before dropping it down so his chin rested on her arm, all the tension in his body flooding out. 

They stayed like that for a few moments before she slowly unwrapped herself from him. She walked around to his front before helping him up and slipping the vest back on, her hands lingering as they swept over his shoulders. 

They slowly made their way back over to the group, with Daryl and Rick joining the van Beth had been in previously. Tara hopped into the other one, before the vans took off. 

“You good?” Rick asked Daryl as he climbed stiffly into the far back of the van with Beth. His friend nodded an affirmation before turning back to the girl at his side, looking at her in wonder.

The fact that Daryl had let Beth near him when he was hurt meant something. Rick felt terrible that’s he'd been driving but one of the tires had blown on the car, hence the swerving- there was nothing he could have done. 

After, the group had stayed by the vans, giving Beth and Daryl space when they’d looked over at one point to see Beth crouched in front of Daryl cupping his face. He wasn’t sure what happened after that, they’d all moved away to let the pair deal with Daryl’s injury as they needed to.

Obviously something had occurred between the two with the way Daryl was looking at Beth and the way she was mirroring his movements subconsciously. 

Michonne continued driving, and soon enough the conversation in the car picked back up, with Beth quizzing Carl on presidents. She had to admit he did pretty well. The kid had a good memory. Rick smiled proudly at his son before turning his smile to Beth and nodding in thanks. She returned the gesture before turning to Daryl only to see he’d fallen asleep. His head was against the side of the van, his whole body positioned slightly awkwardly, but he looked peaceful enough. 

Beth smiled to herself as she looked down to see his hand on her knee. She threaded her fingers through his and watched his peaceful expression become slightly lighter, his grip getting slightly tighter.

Hopefully Washington was worth the trip, but no matter what she wasn’t going to regret going because for the first time in a very long time Beth Greene was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hopefully you liked it- please let me know :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> I'm so beyond sorry for the wait. Finals took more out of me than I expected and I had absolutely no time to write. But I promise I'll make up for it! I'm almost done the next chapter, so that'll be up tomorrow morning!
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me, you guys are amazing and I'm so happy you're enjoying the story. I love hearing what you think!
> 
> This and the next chapter were both originally going to be one, but it's turning out to be longer than expected, so I split them at the best point I could find.
> 
> I'm also going to point out there are some possible triggers of past sexual assault, but they're only not explicit and quite brief. Plus, considering the show, this chapter does have some heavier violence content.
> 
> Once again, I'm so sorry for being so awful about the wait.
> 
> Anyways, hopefully this sort of makes up for it.
> 
> -Lexi

The ruins of Washington were grey with sorrow as though it had crumbled from the weight of the world. Previously grand and regal white buildings looked small in the distance, like someone had neglected them in the back of a closet and left them to turn grey with dust. 

At the same time, the serenity of the city was comforting as Beth looked at it from the highway. Everything was quiet and still, almost like the city was waiting for them. The skies were grey, but it felt as if they might clear at any moment- similar to the hope she harboured deep in her chest. She had tried to compact it and put it away in boxes but now- now it refused to be contained, blossoming and reaching into the recesses of her mind and body- as if it had taken root in her bloodstream and was flowing through her veins.

Daryl looked down at the girl next to him. He knew she’d tried to suppress it but hope was filling her face like sunshine, contagious and spreading to the rest of the group. One by one they nudged each other, looking at their possible new home. Maggie’s had rested on her growing stomach as Glenn wrapped his arm around her waist.

Rick and Michonne were nodding at each other over Carl’s head, and murmuring within their little group. A slow smile grew across Carl’s features and soon he was laughing. They all were.

Daryl shifted his crossbow on his back, the muscles only twinging slightly. It had healed well all things considered. The car crash had been a few weeks ago. It had slowed them down, but they’d finally made it to DC. What should have been a couple day’s journey in the cars had taken longer when they ran out of gas and had to go the rest of the way on foot. 

They’d moved almost painfully slowly, which he felt was partly due to his injury. While it was mostly contained to his back, it was stiff and he was getting older (though he was loath to admit it). He couldn’t move that quickly while injured, and trying to travel with Judith was a mission in itself. The girl had taken up all of Beth’s time that wasn’t spent attending to Daryl. 

She’d been relentless in his recovery, ignoring his mood swings as he lashed out at her- hurting her more than she healed him more often than not. He knew because she’d tense and get silent, but all it took was one look from him, conveying that he was sorry and then she knew. 

He’d been angry that he was useless, frustrated he couldn’t heal faster, pissed he was slowing the group down, and growing more and more uncomfortable with Beth dealing with his scars every single day. He hadn’t been planning on her seeing them so soon. He knew she didn’t care that he had them, she had even connected the information he’d given her about what had happened to him, but it bothered him that they marred the skin she so diligently healed. It was a reminder every day that he was too broken, too dirty, too heavy with baggage for the angel at his back. She may have seen them but she didn’t understand them. She accepted them but she didn’t know what she was agreeing to accept. He could never vocalize it to her. While she may not be afraid of him (he couldn’t even think of her loving him) she should be. She should be afraid of how broken he was. Be afraid for herself. He would mar her sunlight and then where would they be?

Now, his back was better. It only hurt sometimes, and he struggled to draw his bow repeatedly but he wasn’t useless- no longer a burden to the group. It was perfect timing as they arrived in Washington with no idea what to expect. 

They moved farther into the city, everyone on high alert for any sort of danger. Carl and Judith were in the middle of the group with Maggie, Bob, and Eugene. Maggie had protested but one word from Beth had her agreeing quietly.

The sisters weren’t okay but they were making progress. They didn’t speak that often, and when they did it was usually only necessary words: instructions, or queries about something in the group. Maggie was still wary of Beth, and Beth was still uncomfortable as she worked to understand her sister.

The rest of the group was fanned out in a circle. Rick and Daryl were in the front, directly flanked by Beth and Michonne. Glenn, Tara, and Tyreese took the sides, with Abraham, Sasha, Morgan, and Rosita bringing up the rear two rows. 

No one spoke as they moved towards the section that Eugene had told them was the science centre of operations. The man himself hadn’t spoken in a while, turning paler and paler as they moved further into the city. He actually looked a little green when they passed by a sign directing them to the research company they were looking for. 

They were on a main street when Daryl heard it. He stopped in his tracks, holding up his hand and everything shifted to a halt. There was a distinct stumbling shuffle of feet and then everyone dropped to a crouch, the middle group condensing while the outer ring fanned farther out. 

Then the Walkers came. At first it was only a few which were dispatched easily with knives. Beth had stepped forwards to retrieve her throwing knife when more arrived. She barely made it back to her position when what could only be described as a herd descended on them.

The Walkers didn’t move quickly but their sheer numbers were overwhelming. That’s when Daryl started shooting. He was on his fourth draw when he knew it would be his last for a while, immediately shifting to his hunting knife. 

Beth began to throw. But as with all ammunition, her knives depleted too quickly and then she was left with only a hunting knife as well. One particularly large Walker stumbled towards her, forcing her retreat one step before she hurled her weight into a kick that hit it squarely in the chest- shoving it backwards. She followed it with a kick to the kneecap, shattering the bone under decaying flesh. The Walker fell and then her knife was plunging into it’s skull. She only had time to push it off her before another came at her.

Daryl hadn’t been in a fight for a long time, but as his muscles began to move he felt himself flow easily into the motions. To anyone watching, Daryl Dixon was a machine. He struck with both hands, punching and stabbing. His arms moved in a flurry of deadly grace. The man was born a fighter, and this was something he did _well_. He hardly felt his back as he stabbed yet another Walker, barely removing his knife before it was plunging into another dead creature. 

His anger from the past few weeks channeled into his attacks as he battled his way through a particularly well muscled Walker. It had to be new, had to have died recently. This thought remained in his mind even though he pushed it back to contemplate later. 

He could see Beth holding her own to his right, her hair slowly turning reddish brown with blood, and Rick fighting to his left. So far nothing had broken through them but he knew they wouldn’t be able to hold this up for long. He pushed a Walker into another, tripping them both before leaning down to stab one while he stomped hard directly onto the other’s skull: gory but effective. 

He could see the signs of fatigue wearing on them all but the Walkers kept coming. Even Daryl was fading when the first Walker fell by bullet. 

There had been no sound, indicating a silencer but he knew no one had drawn their gun. Then another Walker fell. Shots rained down from above as the prison group condensed into a tighter formation, backing away from the falling Walkers, everyone looking to the sky with one eye, the other on the attacking dead. 

Only when the last Walker went down did he allow himself to move from his fighting position. Beth did the same, almost folding into him. 

Daryl surrounded her, his presence strong right next to her, drawing his crossbow one more time, his face wiped clean of any emotion that would give away any discomfort, raising the bow. Beth pressed closer to his side, not quite touching him.

Then they appeared from the alleys. “Well hello there.”

A tall, black haired, bearded man stepped forwards, almost weighed down by the sheer number of weapons he carried on his body. 

Beth allowed herself to reach up to grip Daryl’s vest when more men appeared from the shadows. Her grip on her knife became almost sweaty, her face utterly impassive. She could see Morgan shift towards her in her peripheral vision, and obviously so could Daryl, as he moved from being slightly in front of her to obscuring her completely. 

These men were not good men. They leered, disguising their intentions with friendly words. She had killed men like these before, and she had been stupidly hoping she wouldn’t have to again.

That tightness in her chest from before she found her family returned. The hope that had been spreading through her vanished, in it’s place an icy coldness as she prepared herself for what was to come. These men wouldn’t let them leave, not without a fight.

Daryl moved back slightly and she moved forwards, pressing herself entirely against his back, taking the only comfort she could from the security he provided. She clung to the idea that Daryl would protect her. Daryl would save her if she couldn’t save herself. 

She could feel the tension in his body as he held the crossbow directly at the bearded man’s head level. There was no doubt he couldn’t feel how rapidly her heart was beating.

“ _Breathe_ Greene.” Daryl muttered under his breath, loud enough only she could hear and so Beth focused on the measured rise and fall of his back. She tried to breathe with him, slow her thoughts down a little.

It wasn’t working. 

She had been so stupid. She had honestly believed she was safe. She had let her walls down, tried to believe that these men couldn’t hurt her anymore. The memory Gorman’s hands slithering up her shirt wormed their way into her thoughts- drowning her in memories of the other men who had touched, or at least tried to touch her. 

Her breathing quickened again as she tried to remember Daryl was there to protect her but the thought did little against the tidal wave of memories crashing around her. Her walls had held these back. She hadn’t let herself think of them. 

_Sweaty hands running up her back and catching in her hair._

Not here. Not now. Now was not the time for this. Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

“ _You’re like a fucking ray of sunshine aren’t ya? I always liked blondes.”_

_A slap to the face._

_Someone kicking her ribs._

A strangled gasp escaped her throat as she fought to catch her breath.

Then his voice again but more insistent, “Come on girl.”

_Don’t cry._

_Her knife slamming into his chest. Someone else’s leg. Another throat. Pushing him into the sea of Walkers._

_Stop feeling._

Daryl could feel her breathing working itself into a hyperventilation. His heart was breaking as he couldn’t turn to do anything, not without showing her to the men, or dropping his threat against them. He could feel her fighting for breath, her heart beating an unrelenting yet stumbling beat against his back and then he almost dropped his bow.

Her hand had slipped under his vest onto the bare skin of his back. She wasn’t touching scars, she was familiar enough with his back to know where each one was but he could feel her sweating palm against his skin. She’d cleaned and stitched him but never touched anywhere that wasn’t injured.

Beth couldn’t help it. She needed more than his vest to anchor herself. She needed to get out from under her thoughts, she needed to build her walls back up and the only way she could do that was by tethering herself to the moment. She had to remind herself Daryl was there; that he was real. 

Her face pressed into his vest, smelling the familiar oil, leather and sweat. His muscles were incredibly tense as she rose to her tiptoes and the tips of his hair brushed against her forehead. She was suddenly thankful he hadn’t cut it in so long.

The final thing that brought her back was the word he spoke, pleading, “ _Beth”._

She felt a wall slam back into place, her feet firmly on the ground, and her hand left his back to return to its grip on his vest.

Daryl felt her breathing slow as whatever she’d been trying to do worked. Her heartbeat regained some semblance of a rhythm and while she had tensed to stone, she was functioning okay.

She nodded against his spine before her head shifted back a little, though her body didn’t leave his and for that he was immediately grateful. He was still thrown off by her touch but he would have done anything to help her at the moment. It was all he could do to keep from turning and burying her in his body, trying to mould her into his form, as if he could hold her together purely with the strength of his will and his arms. 

He briefly wondered if that was her thought process for launching herself at him at the moonshine shack. 

Instead, he remained focused on the man in front of him and then Rick spoke.

“Who are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I know I'm terrible, such a long wait for a cliffhanger but the next chapter will be up by tomorrow morning I promise! Plus, there's a lot more Bethyl in it. A lot.
> 
> Thanks for reading, hopefully you liked it! Please let me know :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> Without further ado, here's the next chapter.
> 
> Once again, violence warning.
> 
> -Lexi

“You can call me Viktor.” The bearded man had a slight accent, European probably. His dark brown eyes swept over the group, lingering on Rosita and Sasha for just a moment too long. He flicked over Maggie and Michonne but seemed to choose to ignore them. Daryl had seen Morgan shift towards Beth slightly and he’d understood: these men weren’t friendly, at all.

“Is there someone behind you with the bow?” Viktor’s gaze focused on Daryl. The archer didn’t speak, just glared back at the other man. Viktor was strapped with a good hundred rounds of ammo draped in layers of belt around his waist, almost obscuring the pistols there. The straps of two automatic rifles crossed his broad chest, knives strapped to his large thighs and a couple to his arms. He held a large gun in his hands, which was angled at the ground but his finger hadn’t left the trigger.

His friends on the other hand, were just as muscular and almost as well armed, but less prone to pretence. They all had their weapons raised, aiming at different group members. 

“Come on now, we just saved your lives. We’re friends now aren’t we?” He started laughing as he finished his question. His laugh was loud and echoing, as if he was taunting the Walkers to hear him: daring them to come.

“We’re looking for HyperTech Research Corp. That’s all we’re here for, we’re just trying to deliver a man to his company. We aren’t lookin’ for any trouble.” Rick spoke smoothly, his tone civil, but barely. Daryl could see the man was tired. Tired of fighting, tired of running, and tired of these types of people- taking whatever (whoever) they wanted. 

“HyperTech? I’ve never heard of a HyperTech. But then again, we don’t run the science section of the city. This here is our turf, which you’d do well to remind yourself of. We just want to see who’s in your group- make sure we’re greeting everyone equally.” His eyes narrowed a little, and Rick’s hand shifted towards his gun in return, but the locking of 3 guns on him, sights clicking into place. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Now bring out the girl. I can see her legs.” 

“She’s a blonde.” A voice from behind them came from above street level, and Daryl’s head swivelled to see a skinny man leaning out a window, leering at Beth.

“Oh Viktor she’s young and _lovely_.” He started laughing hysterically, almost as if he wasn’t quite sane. A smile crept across Viktor’s mouth as Daryl’s head turned back to look at him. 

“That your daughter? Girlfriend? Come on archer, we’re just trying to get to know you.” 

Daryl still refused to make a sound, the tightness in his chest squeezing almost painfully. No one would take her, not again. He’d lost her once already, he couldn’t do it again.

Then, “Get off me!” 

Daryl and Beth whipped around to see someone with a knife to Rosita’s throat, and another man with a gun to Abraham’s head. This hostile group had formed a ring around the prison group, trapping them, with a gun aimed at every person.

“Walk.” The brown haired man ordered Rosita. She looked to Abraham who shook his head, but then the gun was pressed against his temple and with a broken look, Rosita was walking forwards. 

She was marched over to stand just behind Viktor. Her face was impassive, almost angry, but she refused to show if she was afraid. 

“This is the last time I’m going to ask you. Move aside with the crossbow. Frankly, we’re being more than fair. All we’re asking in exchange for our protection is two girls. They’re young and you’ve got a big group already. We’re doing you a favour by taking them off your hands.” 

Beth’s hand twisted the vest, and she looked down to see her knuckles were white as they gripped her knife. She was going to have to do this again. 

The dirt next to Daryl’s feet exploded as a bullet sank into the ground inches from his foot. The crazed sniper in the building _cackled_. 

“That’s a warning: the last you’re getting.” Daryl lowered his head to line up his sight. He’d die before they took her.

Viktor took a step forward and then Beth’s grip on his vest was gone and she was stepped around him. He reached to grab arm, his breath gone, heart sinking as she shifted just out of his reach. He could barely see the outline of her knife tucked under her shift, but it did very little to comfort him as she walked away.

Beth could feel her walls layering themselves with every step she took- getting higher and higher each time her foot met concrete.

Rosita watched as the blonde girl made her way over to the big Russian. It scared her to think of what had gone into the making of Beth’s eyes. She looked like death. Stone, cold death. In a weird, twisted way it brought her a sense of comfort. Beth wasn’t going down without a fight. 

When she’d first seen the blonde she’d been stand-offish and flighty. She’d grown to realize that the girl was much stronger than she looked, but she could tell by the way Beth had lost all her colour that this was what had made her the way she’d found them. These types of men weren’t new to Rosita, but she’d always had Abraham or someone to protect her. Beth apparently hadn’t been so lucky.

Rick looked to his right, watching Daryl’s expression break as Beth was taken from him yet again- and then Morgan was there, he’d moved too quickly for the group to do anything about it, but all he did was murmur something to Daryl that seemed to stop him in his tracks of whatever suicidal rescue plan he’d been in the midst of planning.

“They’re dangerous, but so’s she. They don’t expect it- she’s gotten out of this before. Trust her.” Morgan had never really spoken to anyone in the prison group before, aside from Beth, but his words halted Daryl’s train of thought, shifting it to a more rational course. They weren’t going to kill Beth, but they would kill him without a second thought if he did something to get her back.

Beth watched as Morgan told Daryl to give her a chance, knowing she needed to do _something_ before the archer’s limited window of rational thought closed.

Tentatively, she called Viktor’s name, slumping her shoulders and making her voice even smaller than she felt.

“Please don’t kill ‘em. You’ve got us, their debt is paid, right?” The big man grinned at her. 

“I suppose you’re right, but, we can’t just let them wander our turf. So what would you suggest little miss?” Beth suppressed a cringe at the nickname. 

“Why don’t you- we- escort them out? Take ‘em to the edge of the city- by the tree line. Then they won’t be in your- our- territory?” 

She knew they preferred it when she grouped herself with them- made them think they were a unit, as if she’d accepted her new role. 

Beth also knew they needed to get out of this trap. There were buildings with their snipers, not to mention the solid ring of hostile men trapping her family. They had no advantage in this area, but out on a highway, one shift and that balance of power could tilt the other way. She needed to get them that possibility.

“An escort? Oh little miss I don’t know about that- the trees are far. That’s a waste of time, of resources.” She knew he wouldn’t agree to the tree line, but she needed to get him to compromise, so she could get what she wanted but let him think he had the power. Let him think he was being _generous._  

“The highway? Just to the edge of the city.” She steeled herself for the final strike. She hated this part, it made her feel so weak. 

“Please.” Beth almost whimpered and while it echoed through his body, imprinting itself on his mind (he would never forget how small she sounded), Daryl knew she’d done it on purpose. Morgan had been right. Beth never begged, she was doing this to let Viktor think he had control of the situation. She was getting them out of the trap Viktor had set, and was making him think it was his idea. The highway was open and far enough away that they could use guns with the possibility of getting away with little interference from Walkers.

“So polite.” Viktor murmured and slid a finger up along her jaw. Rosita watched as Beth’s hands clenched into fists so tightly red blood pooled at her fingertips from digging into her palms. She wanted to kill the bastard herself but knew Beth would have to do that. This wasn’t a game Beth was playing. She fought differently than Rosita had seen anyone else in this new world- but it didn’t make her any less of a threat. 

Despite her impassive Beth was aiming to be, Rick could see the sickened look in her eyes as Viktor touched her face. Morgan was holding Daryl back but Rick almost wished his friend had managed to break Morgan’s grip. Beth didn’t look strong. Beth looked closed off. She looked cold, like stone moments away from crumbling. He knew she’d hold it together but he also knew there’d be fallout from this. She looked similar to the girl who’d found them, only more like ice. This girl was angry, that girl had been hopeless. 

When she’d found her hope, Beth began to become more like the girl he’d known at the prison. This person standing, allowing Viktor to touch her for a moment was an entirely different person. This was not the Beth Greene he, or anyone aside from maybe Morgan, knew. He only hoped she could find her way back, because Beth wasn’t anything like the girl before him, and he knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t want to be. This girl was built from the necessities of basic survival. 

“Alright, we’ll take them to the edge of the city, because you asked so _nicely_.” Viktor straightened up quickly and grinned, his slightly yellowed teeth glinting in the sunlight. 

“Move.” Slowly but surely the entire congregation moved from the inner city back the way they’d come until the buildings were more spaced out and eventually there was a large open road in front of them. Cars littered the area, but when Daryl looked at them he saw only protection. They could use those cars as shields if they needed it. 

They were mid walk and Beth could feel them slowing, knowing they needed to do something before Viktor’s group managed to settle into a formation. His hand was clamped on her right shoulder, which wasn’t ideal, but she’d learned to use her left hand when her right had been in a cast. Her left hand swung gently at her side.

She looked behind her to see Rosita in the same position as her, but the brown haired man who’d brought her into the group was in Viktor’s position at her shoulder. She met Beth’s eyes and raised her eyebrows, to which Beth nodded in answer to the unspoken question.

Beth looked to make sure they every person in Viktor’s group was accounted for and out of the city, including his snipers. When she was sure they were she looked to Daryl and found him looking back at her.

This time she couldn’t put him in a box to avoid her actions. She couldn’t pretend he would think of her the same. Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment and then she was moving.

Daryl met Beth’s eyes and saw something that looked a little like regret, almost as if she was apologizing to him. He nudged Rick with his shoulder, who knocked Michonne’s hand. The motion travelled through the group immediately. Beth was doing something. He didn’t have time to look closer at her expression before her big blue eyes closed for a second, her back straightened, her left hand swung back further than it had while was walking and then her knife was in her hand and she had slashed Viktor’s throat. 

The shouts began immediately followed quickly by shots. Rosita’s captor went down, courtesy of Abraham, before Rick yelled, 

“Don’t aim to kill.” And so soon the rest of Viktor’s group was on their knees, shot in the leg, shoulder, arm or foot. This time, they were the ones held at gunpoint. 

“We don’t want trouble. You took our girls as payment for saving our lives, but now we’ve spared yours. You saw we can kill you, and now you owe us your lives. Are we clear?” 

When the kneeling men didn’t answer Rick stalked forwards and pressed his gun to the temple of one of the men in the front. “I said, are we clear? If we see you again we’ll kill you. This is our territory now. Do you understand?”

Rick had no intention of staying in the section of the city, but if kicking these men (who demanded payment of people) out meant a clear run through to the research centre he wasn’t going to pass on the opportunity.

The man with Rick’s gun to his head nodded. 

“I can’t hear you.” Rick stated. 

“We’re clear.” 

“Good, now drop your guns, take your knives, and get out.” The prison team had filed behind the men so when they stood up there was a line between them and the city. 

It frightened Rick, what he had become, but he protected his own. These men had threatened his family, and taken two of them. He wouldn’t regret what he had done.

Guns clattered to the ground and then they were up and walking towards the tree line. They watched until the last man disappeared into the brush before moving. 

Glenn and Maggie ran to each other. The Grimes family hugged, while Sasha and Tyreese stood quietly near Bob, murmuring softly to each other. Abraham scooped up Rosita, speaking almost incoherently in her ear. Tara and Eugene stood to the side, smiling at the sight.

Daryl turned to Beth to see Morgan standing near her. The man just patted her shoulder once before stepping away and turning to Daryl. To his surprise, Morgan also brushed his shoulder as he went by, almost a gesture of solidarity, before he walked over to Viktor and made sure he wouldn’t come back.

Beth was standing slightly away from the group. She didn’t move when he approached her. When he talked around to her front, she continued to stare at the ground, covered in blood. They were all dirty, but red was caked in her hair and Viktor’s blood covered her face and shoulders. 

In all honesty she looked kind of frightening, but the worst was when he bent down to see her eyes and found big, blue orbs of nothing. 

There was no expression, her eyes were flat, their bright blue had dulled. She shifted them away from Daryl and continued to stare at the concrete.

Watching her standing before him, with her shoulders tensed but slumped forwards in defeat, Daryl racked his thoughts for what was going on and then it hit him. She hated this version of herself. She had fought to come back from her, but had been reduced to her again. She’d had to kill. The same type men who haunted her past had come back into her life, and she’d been forced to slam those walls that she’d slowly lowered over the past weeks back into place. 

She’d told him she missed being Beth Greene. She missed being the girl from the farm because she was strong enough to not kill people. She’d said she missed being able to smile without effort. She hated this killer. She hated killing, and so she was pulling away. What she hadn’t said was that she pulled away from her own judgment, but it was clear.

This girl in from of him may look blank, but she was fighting a war that she’d chosen to ignore. She was fighting herself. 

He may have almost lost her, but she had lost what little of herself she’d managed to bring back. 

Daryl always did better with actions but he knew that wasn’t only what she needed from him at the moment. She needed words too. 

He picked his words with extreme care, not wanting to say the wrong thing. Finally he reached one hand out slowly, so she could see what he was doing before he tilted her chin up, forcing her eyes to meet his.

“You’re still Beth. I still see _you_.” Her eyes watered slightly, but the blue was still dull. 

He took a breath, praying he could say the right thing, “People survive, we do what we have to t’make sure we get the chance to live. I ain’t surprised that you had to do those things. Y’know what I’ve done and y’told me not to let it define me. That we ain’t our actions, but we can’t be ashamed of 'em either. I ain’t gonna pretend you didn’t kill someone today, but you also saved all of us because of it. The Beth Greene I know protects the people she cares about. She fights for her family. That’s who I saw today.”

By the end of his words, her eyes were filled with tears but she refused to let them fall. “But I killed another person. His life wasn’t worth any less than mine and I took it-“

“No.” Daryl cut her off. “He tried to take you against your will. He said we fucking owed him you. It don’t matter how much his life was worth. If he had kept you I woulda done something that would have ended up with me dead. I ain’t got a problem dyin’ for you but I got a problem dying because of that piece of shit. I’m glad he’s dead, ‘cause he deserved it. His actions deserved it. Don’t you feel bad for his loss girl, who knows how many other people you saved from _owing_ him.”

At his words a tear from Beth’s eye and she stepped forwards, tucking herself into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, finally allowing himself to hold her. She started to shake and he tightened his arms, as if he could hold the pieces of her together. One of his arms wrapped around her waist while the other cupped the back of her neck, holding her head to his chest. Her arms were tucked between them, but he felt her shift to wrap them around his waist.

He heard her mutter, “You aren’t allowed to die, Daryl Dixon.”

“I ain’t goin’ anywhere.” He mumbled into her hair, tucking his head into her neck. He could feel her eyelashes brushing against his neck and they were suspiciously wet, but he had a feeling his eyes weren’t all that dry either so he ignored it. 

They stood like that for what seemed like hours. Beth’s hands gripped Daryl’s wings as he stood there and held her to his body allowing her to anchor herself. She cried for the second time since she’d found them, for everything she’d done that day. She hated herself for what she’d had to do, but she clung desperately to Daryl’s words as if they could save her from drowning in herself. The walls she’d put back up fell bit by bit as Daryl’s arms tightened around her, covering her in their own safety net. She let herself believe for a minute that maybe she didn’t need them as long as she had him. Daryl accepted her no matter who she was or had to be. He took her good and accepted her bad, just as she’d done for him.  

She couldn’t help it as she mumbled, “Thank you for saving me.”

“You saved yourself.” Beth shifted in his arms to look up at him, her eyes as bright as the bluest of skies again.

“That’s not what I meant.” She didn’t bother to explain, which left him slightly confused but she smiled this soft, gentle smile that he hadn’t seen on her face in what felt like forever. He didn't want to risk losing it by asking questions, rather all he wanted to do was be closer to that smile so he just leaned his head down and rested his forehead against hers.

Her eyes closed but her beautiful smile remained and he watched it for a few seconds for before closing his own eyes and just taking in the opportunity to be so close to Beth. He wanted to kiss her, but he knew she was still recovering from the day (not to mention he was afraid, so afraid of kissing this girl and contaminating her with his unworthy darkness). So instead, he lifted his forehead from hers and let himself do the next best thing and pressed his lips against the blood free spot on her forehead. She stilled for a fraction of a second before leaning into him until he pulled away.

When he looked down at her, that soft smile had stretched further and she was almost glowing with happiness, even through the blood she still looked ethereally beautiful.

“We should get back.” She spoke quietly before untangled herself from all but his hand and pulled him back over to the rest of their family. 

Rick nodded at their arrival before announcing, “We should find a place to stay for the night. It’s been a long day. We’ll get to HyperTech tomorrow.” 

Everyone voiced their ascent and then they were moving through the city, still on watch, but carefully looking for somewhere to say the night.

Tomorrow they’d finally get Eugene where he needed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clear up anything, Viktor is nothing more than a plot device, he needed to be brought out for Beth to address some things. Negan may or may not appear later in the story (who knows... :P), but as you can tell this is completely divergent at the moment but it will ultimately draw on the comics and certain aspects of the TV show (minus the MSF- still not over it) later.
> 
> Thanks for reading and hopefully you liked it! Please let me know :)
> 
> Considering tomorrow is Christmas I probably won't be able to finish the next chapter for the next couple days but I'll try. No promises though, but something will be up within the next week.
> 
> Also, you guys are really gonna like the next chapter hehe. It'll be worth the wait- that I will promise.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years!
> 
> So the wait was longer than I expected, but hopefully this makes up for it. I had to rework this chapter a few times but I think it turned out pretty well.
> 
> Next chapter will be out within a week, I'm just finishing it off now.
> 
> Please continue to let me know what you think- and hopefully you like it.
> 
> -Lexi

They ended up taking residence for the night on one of the higher floors of an old office building. The building had been abandoned a long time ago, leaving only a few Walkers to be cleared. They chose the floor that must have been given to executives, figuring that the walls, doors, and couches would make for a decent set up overnight. 

There were enough offices that the group could separate into duos, trios, etc. After a quick dinner of assorted canned items, they splintered off into their designated offices. The bigger groups took the CEO offices and such, while pairs took the smaller rooms.

Beth and Daryl took one such smaller room. It was still a decent size with hardwood floors and taupe walls that made it seem bigger than it was. There was a single desk facing a couple worn looking chairs that they pushed to the side to lay out their sleeping bags on the floor.

Neither had been comfortable taking a bigger room with a couch. At one time Beth would have been adamant about taking the comfier rooms, but now she was almost twitchy in such lush surroundings. Even though they’d established the building was empty- she refused the nicer room if only for superstitious reasoning. Maybe she’d be safer in this little, empty area- especially with what had happened last time. The last time she’d taken comfort in an open, well furnished home had been with Daryl at the funeral home and she was still scarred from that. 

Plus, the only person she could bare to be around at the moment was Daryl. She couldn’t bring herself to look the rest of her family in the eyes, not with what she had done earlier. She hadn’t come to terms with it yet, even with Daryl’s reassurances that she had done what she needed to to protect them. One day she would, but she was still afraid of what the others thought of her.

So, now she laid herself down on the hard floor as Daryl locked the door and pushed a chair under the handle. While it was only their family in the building (supposedly), she knew he would still take every precaution to keep them safe. No matter what- he would keep her safe.

As he prowled about the room, Beth got the sense that the hunter was kind of nervous. They hadn’t been completely alone at night for weeks. While they may have been used to it before, and they still slept near each other every night- they hadn’t had the opportunity to be alone. Neither seemed to know what to do with it, but Daryl ironically was the one to show his nerves.

“Daryl, your pacing is making me tired. Just go to sleep.” Beth murmured quietly from the floor, stopping the older redneck in his tracks. He’d been consumed with thoughts about what might happen now that they were alone. There were so many things unsaid between the two of them, so many things he didn’t have the words or actions for that his mind was a hive of activity. Yet, the moment she said his name, everything went quiet and he focused on her voice.

He knelt down onto his sleeping bag. It was the same distance from hers as always. She was looking at him the same way as always. Her hair hung over her shoulder, shining a little in the moonlight like always. But, her eyes were bigger than always. More haunted than always. So, instead of lying on his back holding one of her hands and waiting for sleep to find him like always, he turned towards her and with her big blue eyes almost begging him, he stretched one arm out and gestured for her to crawl closer 

She moved immediately, curling into his side like she needed to convince herself he wasn’t going to leave her. And he understood. He had seen her that afternoon, had told her what he thought but he knew she wouldn’t accept it immediately. It wasn’t the time for more words, she needed his physical actions to show her that he didn’t see her any differently. She needed to believe he saw her the same as always.

So, she fit into his side, almost like she was made to be there. Her small frame lightly brushed his, and one arm hesitantly reached over his stomach to curl around his waist. She was soft but also hard against him, feminine lines and lean muscle. Her hair fell over his arm and she blinked up at him like she had those years ago when he’d come to tell her that they’d lost Zach. Just like then, she pushed his boundaries a little, this time brushing the hair out of his eyes before he could do it. He smiled a little down at her.

It wasn’t only for her that he let her cling to him. He wrapped himself around her as well, finally allowing himself to believe that she was okay and there with him. She’d almost been lost to him again. Twice. Viktor had tried to take her physically and then she had almost locked herself up and away- never to come back.

Daryl knew he wouldn’t have been able to handle either. If Beth was taken again, he would lose every ounce of sanity he had left. It took him a while to understand what Beth meant to him, but he’d figured it out somewhere along the way after the moonshine shack. He couldn’t pinpoint it exactly but he began to realize that Beth Greene was the light he had so badly missed all his life. She shone so brightly sometimes he almost wanted to close his eyes in fear of being blinded by her. Yet, the fear of being blinded by her goodness was nothing compared to the tragedy of looking into his darkness and seeing nothing but night and black.

She had been that light, showing him where to look for his hope, burning into his mind and then she was ripped from him leaving him with nothing but hands the colour of soot. If she was taken from him again he would be nothing but ashes, no matter how hard he tried to stay standing. He could withstand bullets but he could not take losing this girl again. He wouldn’t let her leave him, physically or mentally.

He pulled her closer, reminding him she was still here with him. And so, with his arms around her he drifted off to sleep. 

Beth felt Daryl’s breathing even out as he fell asleep with her clutched tightly to him. She knew she was clinging to him but she also felt the pressure equally returned. They were pressed so tightly together that she felt the exact moment he began to dream.

When his breathing started picking up it wasn’t anything new to her. Daryl had nightmares sometimes. They usually passed, or he woke himself up. This one lasted slightly longer than the others and then he _whimpered_.

The sound jerked Beth to full awareness of her surroundings, but her heart broke when he whispered “Beth, no.”

She looked up to see tears streaming from his closed eyes as his head shook back and forth as if he could banish the thought from his mind.

“Daryl?” She asked quietly, hoping it would wake him. She knew better than to shake him. Sometimes his nightmares became night terrors and she knew how bad it was to shake someone into consciousness.

Daryl almost thought he heard Beth call his name but he knew that was impossible.

_Beth lay on the floor in front of him, blood pooling around her head as the gunshot soaked her blonde hair a sickening red. He’d shot her killer immediately but he felt his heart drop out as her skull shattered as the bullet made contact._

_“Beth, no” he’d whispered but now he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t make his lungs expand as he scooped her up as though she were made of glass. Viktor lay further away, dead by Daryl’s hand. He was the first living human Daryl had killed but he didn’t dwell on it._

_Beth was too heavy. Not matter what he’d joked about her weight when he gave her the piggyback ride she’d always been light. Now she lay limply, supporting no weight. One of his hands wrapped around her back while the other lifted her under her knees._

_He almost trembled with the weight of the loss he carried. With the weight of his almosts. His maybes. Those few times he’d let himself think he deserved better- that he deserved her._

_Now he could feel the warmth leave her body in his arms as he carried her, tucking her to his chest as though he could transfer some of his life to hers._

_He didn’t want to be the last man standing without her. She’d told him she’d be gone one day and he hadn’t believed her. Then she’d been taken and he’d followed her without a thought. He couldn’t follow her where ever she was now._

_He prayed she was happy. He prayed someone would take care of her, that she found Herschel. Her mom. Shawn. He prayed that she would watch over him._

_He prayed she would become the wings on his back because he was in ruins and could barely stand. Sobs wracked him as he failed to keep himself together. He was ripping at the seams and where was Beth stitch him up? Where was Beth to keep all the pieces of him from splintering and scattering across his body and mind like glass? Where was Beth to tell him his scars didn’t scare her, that he was worthy of being whole, that she wouldn’t leave him?_

_Why did she have to leave him?_

“Daryl?” Beth was slightly more insistent as the sobs wracking his body turned to shudders and he started hyperventilating.

“No, no, no.” He started muttering to himself, so she spoke at full volume, this time squeezing gently with the arm wrapped around his waist.

“Daryl!” He jerked to a sitting position and and she was dragged up with him.

The whites of his eyes showed as he stared at her wide eyed. He let go of her immediately, pulling away, pushing himself into the wall.

“How?” His voice broke. “Yer gone.”

He was covered in a light sheen of sweat as Beth moved towards him slowly, making no sudden movements. She’d been around a skittish Daryl before. He wouldn’t hurt her or himself, but he did need to calm down before he passed out from lack of air by his hyperventilating.

“I’m right here.” She stopped crawling forwards, kneeling in front of him.

“No, you’re dead. You died. I watched ya, watched him shoot ya straight in the head.” Tears continued to pour down his face.

Beth had never seen Daryl look so small, even when he’d allowed her to treat his back. He’d never looked so broken. Daryl was always so strong, afraid of nothing. This Daryl was terrified of something, and it dawned on her that something was losing her.

He thought she was dead and it was breaking him.

“Daryl, look at me. I’m right here. Please, I’m alive. I’m okay.” His head shook and his breathing increased as the flurry of thoughts running through his mind increased.

As she looked at him it wasn’t that he didn’t want to believe her, he _couldn’t_.

He didn’t flinch when she got a little closer, still not touching him, just hovering. “Ya can’t be. You were so cold. So heavy. Gone. Ya left me. Again!”

By now he was scaring her. Beth wasn’t afraid _of_ Daryl, she was scared _for_ him. He had no colour, and his entire body was shaking.

“I’m right here. I’m not gonna leave you. Daryl, please. _Look at me._ ” The man finally looked up to meet her eyes and the sadness threatened to drown her. He was drowning and she didn’t know how to save him.

Until she did.

Beth didn’t break eye contact as she leaned forward, placing one hand on his knee bent in front of him, and letting the other come up to wipe some of the tears from his cheek as she leaned into him, over the leg that was draped on the floor 

“I’m with ya til the end.” She murmured and then she pressed her lips softly to his.

At first her kiss went unreciprocated as he froze in shock. The shudders stopped, as did his breathing.

Then he kissed her back as though she was air. He gasped against her as his arms reached out to grab her and pull her to him. He moved his legs out of the way as he wound her into his lap and his embrace.

His grip bordered on painful but Beth ignored it, drowning in him.

There was no finesse. Neither of them cared to be careful, no they kissed each other like they had waited their whole lives to come together and it was their last chance. It was a hello, a good bye, a saving grace.

Beth’s fingers wound into Daryl’s hair as one of his did the same, tangling in her blonde locks. The other remained locked around her waist.

Daryl tilted his head to deepen the kiss, Beth yielding immediately as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She couldn’t get close enough to him and he seemed to feel the same.

The only way to describe Daryl’s kisses were like he was hunting her. He reacted immediately to any indication she made. He was precise but also wild, and Beth met him each time their lips slipped over one another. He was rough, she was soft. He was breathing, she was drowning and it was _easy_.

It didn’t scare Beth or Daryl with how easily they fit together. Their kisses may have been slightly clumsy in their frantic need to get closer but somehow they still managed to fit like pieces of a puzzle that had finally fallen into place.

They had both lost each other and this was a homecoming. They breathed together, their chests heaving as she pulled back to look at him.

Daryl stared in amazement at the girl wound around him. She was wrapped around his body and soul. There was no way to tell when she got there, but Beth had taken up residence in his heart and if that kiss had been any indication she would never be leaving. He had never cared about anyone so much in his life.

Daryl had never been much for kissing but even after one, he was addicted to Beth. The memory of his dream still lingered but as he took in the moment he felt her heart racing against his, the warmth of her body, the strength in her muscles as she sat in his lap. She was real. She was _alive_.

He couldn’t stop the words if he tried as they came up and out into the open. He almost didn’t recognize the shaky, husky sound of his voice, “I don’t wanna be the last man standing. I can’t do it.”

Beth nodded, her lips quirking up slightly. “I already told you, I’m with you till the end. I’ll be right there with you.”

It was like the final weight was lifted off his chest as the only other thing that came to mind left his mouth, “Ya know you were what changed my mind righ’?”

Beth didn’t say anything, she just leaned forward and kissed him softly, so sweetly, his heart skipped and the warmth in his chest spread throughout the rest of him.

“Come on, let’s sleep again.” Her voice was quiet, but as he looked down at her he could see she was tired. Her big blue eyes blinked up at him as he nodded and she went to shift back to the sleeping bags.

He knew he wasn’t going to sleep, so he just shook his head. “Nah, stay here.”

Beth seemed to understand what he was saying so she just burrowed further into his arms, tucked her head into his neck, her eyelashes brushing his neck and his heart stuttered again.

Her leps draped over his and he tightened his grip on her, shifting slightly to make her more comfortable as he continued to lean back against the wall.

“G’night Beth.”

“Night Daryl.” She murmured and he couldn’t resist leaning down to peck her forehead. A small smile slipped onto her features as her breathing evened out and she fell asleep in his arms.

He hoped one day this would be their new always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hopefully you liked it- please let me know :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> So basically I'm never giving a date/time for me to publish a chapter ever again- as apparently I'm incapable of sticking to it.
> 
> I know it's been forever (I'm terribly sorry), but it is longer than usual so hopefully it makes up for it.
> 
> Hopefully you like it!
> 
> -Lexi
> 
> PS: I haven't edited it, but I'd say it's pretty readable.
> 
> PPS: I have another planned out, so it'll be up eventually (sooner rather than later, let's hope)

Beth woke up in Daryl’s arms, which wasn’t a first, but the way she was wrapped around him was. He hadn’t slept properly, she could tell that much but he had gotten some sort of rest, judging by how relaxed his body was and the alert look in his eyes.

The alertness softened to affection when he looked down at her. Daryl never looked at anyone else the way he looked at Beth, just as Beth had never responded to anyone the way she did to Daryl.

Neither survivor moved, rather the blonde nestled herself further into his arms. It was still earlier than anyone else would be awake, and honestly, she just wanted to. The others could wait.

Daryl’s arms tightened slightly and he shifted a little so that she could look up at him at a less awkward angle. Beth smiled sleepily at the big hunter, usually so lethal, but moving with such gentle ease around her. She raised one hand and brought it up to his face. Her thumb brushed softly across his features as she smoothed the furrow between his brows, sliding her palm down until it cupped his face.

Whether or not he did it on purpose was of no relevance as Daryl’s head leaned into her touch. He turned his cheek and closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again and looking down at Beth. He was surprised at how comfortable he was with the physical contact. Even though it was Beth, and he had long since accepted that he needed to touch her to stay sane, he hadn’t accounted for how much he was going to like her contact.

Very few people in Daryl’s life had ever touched him without malicious intent. Maybe his mother before she burned herself down with the house. The odd doctor. And then the end of the world came about and he’d met the few he was okay with.

Usually it was constrained to the most necessary of touches, injuries or passing food, lending strength. Then people started patting him on the shoulder (there was only one person’s touch he was okay with on his back, and she was curled up in his lap), and eventually he stopped flinching. It didn’t get much farther until the blonde had mindlessly wrapped her arms around him one day in the prison.

Until then, Daryl couldn’t remember the last time he’d been hugged. Never? He hadn’t a clue what to do with it, so he’d awkwardly raised a hand and touched her elbow. At that godforsaken (godsend) shack she’d gone and thrown herself at his back, his scars. She’d clung to him with the strength he’d needed (if he had to pinpoint a moment when everything changed with Beth it was right then, the feeling of a weight on his back, a comfort).

Then, for the first time in his life, Daryl started reciprocating Beth’s physical nature. He didn’t think before he’d touch her to get her attention. Sometimes he’d tap her arm, other times brush his hand across her back. He’d move her into correct weapons positioning with a more physical presence than he’d ever dared to try. Her whole body would align with his, and he _really_ didn’t mind.

When she’d injured her ankle, touching her was instinct (just like helping her). He’d never given a piggyback in his life. He’d seen them on TV a few times, enough so he understood the theory, but he’d offered it without a thought, and hoped Beth would know what to do. From that day on, carrying her was not only necessary but also something that he found he looked forward to. He liked being so close to her.

Now, he looked down into her eyes and it didn’t even register that he’d never had this much physical contact with anyone. Ever.

Beth was hesitant that Daryl would push her away at some point, remove her from his lap, return to the prickly hunter who preferred short bursts of affection, but those thoughts were turned away as she took in how relaxed he was. There were only small areas of tension, but those were involuntary. Daryl Dixon would never completely relax in this world (possibly any world). Some part of him would always be on edge, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t right there with her.

They didn’t move or speak for what felt like hours until a knock on the door echoed through the office, Daryl tensed, but Beth was the one who responded huskily,

“Be out in a sec”. And so, unwillingly, Beth unfolded herself from Daryl’s lap. He stood with her, but she didn’t miss the questioning look in his eyes.

“Last night was the best sleep I’ve gotten in years if that clears anythin’ up for you. I can’t define this, and I don’t think I need to- but I don’t want this to be the last time something like that happens, y’know?”

Beth glanced at her feet, proud that she hadn’t stuttered once as she stumbled through her words. She’d be more eloquent with her feelings some other day, when they weren’t minutes away from meeting up with their family just outside the door. Besides, it was Daryl, he knew. He had to know already.

She didn’t expect him to respond, and was reaching for the chair to remove it from it’s position in front of the door when two hands landed on her waist. Then Daryl was right behind her ( _right_ behind her) and his mouth was next to her ear. Even if he hadn’t spoken, this would have be enough of a response to convince her of anything she’d ever wanted from the shy redneck.

“I ain’t ever gonna been like this with anyone else. I don’t want to. Jus’ you.” His voice was quiet, and lower than she’d ever heard it, reverberating through his chest to her back and down her spine, settling low in her stomach, at the same time sending her heart straight up to catch in her throat.

She couldn’t get words out, instead she embraced the smile creeping across her features and turned quickly in his arms to peck him on the lips before she was gone and pulling the chair from the door.

Daryl had felt unusually cold the moment Beth had left his lap, but the feeling had been short lived as a warmth spread through him at her words, spurring him to respond in the best way he could. Once again, he’d acted on instinct, and it seemed to have been okay. Now he watched as Beth busied herself in moving the door and packing up their room in the office, smiling playfully at him the whole time, occasionally brushing _too closely_ past him (not close enough), trailing a hand over his arm, waist or back as she went.

He knew she wouldn’t be like this as soon as they left the office, and neither would he, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t embrace it while it lasted. He helped her gather their things and soon (too soon) they were opening the door and joining their family.

***

Beth walked next to Michonne as they followed Eugene’s instructions to get to HyperTech. Based on the map of the city they had, it wasn’t too far. Also judging by the lack of people they came across, they were still firmly in Viktor’s ‘territory’.

The few Walkers they did encounter were quickly dispersed of by Abraham and Rick. Both men were remarkably on edge, but no one looked quite as green as Eugene. The poor man was pallid in complexion, practically shaking as he walked.

“It should be just up around this next corner.” Rick halted everyone as they came to yet another empty intersection. The traffic lights had long since given up, but it would appear that at the time of their failure their had been quite the traffic pile up. Small hybrids were mangled between large trucks and vans. The remains of what were probably the drivers were strewn about the road.

At this point, Eugene turned to the side and the meagre contents of his stomach were displaced to the side of the road. Daryl looked back at Beth who met his gaze curiously. While the scene in front of them wasn’t any gorier than usual, Eugene was reacting strangely. The reaction was odd enough that Beth sidled up to the hunter, craving the safety of his presence.

Daryl didn’t look at Beth when she drew level with him, rather to Eugene. After a moment’s contemplation he stopped walking, turned and made his way over to the scientist. He grabbed Eugene by the front of his shirt and jerked him forwards and up a little so they were on eye level.

“Ain’t nobody else as afraid of this science company as you- and you the one who told us to come here in the first place. So what’s the problem?” At this Eugene probably would have collapsed if not for the calm but angry redneck gripping his shirt in a tight fist.

The scientist stuttered intelligibly until Daryl shook him “Spit it out”.

Finally Eugene blurted out only two words, “I lied”.

Daryl’s face morphed from calm to deadly, squinting intimidatingly at the cowering scientist. His voice was frighteningly low and well articulated, “About what?”

This time Eugene appeared to be unable to stop the flow of words from his mouth as they tumbled out into the hostile air,

“I’m a teacher- I don’t actually have a cure- but I knew that I wouldn’t be able to survive this world without help so I said the most obvious thing to guarantee my safety. HyperTech isn’t a real company but I calculated the odds that Washington DC would be the safest place in the nation so I tried to get here- I- I- I’m sorry but-“

His words were cut off as Daryl shoved the man away from him in disgust. Eugene stumbled a few steps before he was tackled to the ground by Abraham and his flying fists.

“I protected you! Do you know how many times I’ve almost died for this fucked up mind game you’ve been playing with us? I trusted you!” His fists continued making contact with any part of Eugene he could reach. The scientist appeared to be frozen in shock as he just lay there taking the hits.

The rest of the group seemed to stumble into action when they realized that Abraham probably wasn’t going to stop until he killed the man under him, and so Rick and Daryl jumped forwards to try and pull him off.

They succeeded in separating the two but were unable to stop Abraham’s desperate and angry struggle to get away from him. He managed to loosen their grip on him as he started to march back over to the prone scientist but was met with Rosita as she appeared between him and his target.

“Abe stop!” She planted two hands on his chest, but his raised fist that looked like it was angled at her, had her shoving him away and stumbling in the other direction. At that point the red headed man seemed to realize what he’d been about to do and a stricken look crossed his face. He almost tripped over himself in his desperate attempt to reach her but was met with a furious Daryl instead.

“Don’t you go near her.” Beth hadn’t seen the look on his face before, but it didn’t take her longer than a second to understand why it was there. She watched as Daryl’s chest rose and fell faster than usual, his face impassive, but the hands that held Abraham in place were shaking. He looked like he was struggling to contain the urge to throttle the man, and while Abe hadn’t hit Rosita, the intention seemed to have unhinged Daryl.

Beth covered the distance between them as quickly and smoothly as possible, making sure Daryl could see her as she approached. He didn’t move, even as she got closer, apparently unable and unwilling to loosen his grip on the army man. Abe was mumbling apologies to Rosita over and over under his breath, but that did nothing to deter the vice Daryl held his shirt in.

Daryl’s eyes flicked briefly to her, so she knew he recognized her presence, before she reached behind him and tugged lightly on his vest, away from Abraham.

“Don’t”, He all but growled. Undeterred but still cautious, Beth pulled more insistently on the jacket. He needed to let go of Abraham.

“Daryl. Let him go.” She muttered quietly enough that only he would hear, but loud enough that he wouldn’t be able to ignore her by pretending he hadn’t heard her. In one movement, he’d pushed Abraham away from him and was striding quickly in the other direction, down the street, hands still curled into fists.

Rick looked to Beth as though questioning if he should go after the hunter, but was met with a quick shake of her head as she hurried after the man herself.

It took six tries of her calling his name, and a good eight blocks away from the group before he finally slowed, turning and punching a wall with a grunt. Daryl rarely lost his cool, this reaction being something old and deep-set in his subconscious.

Knowing that hurting her would be the last thing on his mind, Beth moved closer to him, but careful not to crowd him.

“Daryl, look at me.” Her voice left no room for him to doubt the severity of her command. Almost unwillingly he turned to meet her eyes, and she wasn’t surprised by the expression on his face.

It wasn’t as though he was lost in memory, or still angry. It was a look of deep regret and almost fear. Beth understood that this had far more to do with Daryl’s belief that she was afraid of him, that he would act like Abraham- that he was no different from the father he had barely told her about and yet whom she still understood.

Her voice was quiet as she tried to comfort him, “I’ve told you before I ain’t afraid of you.”

Daryl’s entire body stilled as Beth repeated the sentiment, “I know you won’t hurt me.”

The hunter’s voice was quieter than she’d ever heard it, smaller, “But accidents happen.”

“I’ve never seen you make one move you didn’t mean Daryl Dixon, that kind of accident won’t happen. I trust you.” Beth’s words were like honey, glazing over his rough and angry thoughts, calming him down enough to think clearly.

“You shouldn’t.” While she may believe the words, Daryl couldn’t figure out how to explain to this girl that he was no good for her. No one had thought Abraham would ever hurt Rosita, if anyone had a past that would indicate that type of violence it would be Daryl. He had his father’s blood and anger running through his veins. Just thinking about it made him feel dirty and he wanted Beth to scrub away the feelings no matter how impossible the feat would be.

Surprising him completely, Beth’s serious tone lifted and then she was in the carefully constructed personal space he always held around himself (how was it she managed to worm her way in?). One of her elbows nudged him playfully,

“And what are you gonna do about it?” The words were barely out of her mouth when he was retorting, the feeling of useless unworthiness from the past two weeks bubbling up and out,

“Keep reminding you it’s a bad idea.”

Surprising him again, Beth dropped her joking and actually appeared to be offended, “Reminding people is my job. This here, is me reminding you that you’re a good person and I you shouldn’t think otherwise. You aren’t… contaminated, or whatever, by your history. You and me, this is different. Clean.”

Once again Daryl was floored by the little blonde’s uncanny ability to get inside his head, pull out his insecurities, and wreck them with some type of weapon that was made purely of Beth Greene.

Almost reflexively he blurted, “I ain’t-“

Whatever weapon she had, Beth swung straight through his words, cutting them off and replacing them with her own.

“Listen to me. This thing with Eugene ain’t a surprise. You and I both knew the idea of a _cure_ ,” She almost spat the word, laughing in the face of its possibility,

“Was impossible. This word doesn’t have cures- and I don’t expect one. It ain’t gonna change anything. But you lookin’ at me, you last night, I’m okay with it not changing.”

Her words made him impossibly warm but her blind faith also baited the intense need Daryl had to protect her from everything, from this whole damn apocalypse to himself. How could she not see?

“What the hell do y’mean not changin? Do y’not see what’s goin’ on girl?”

Beth met his words, strike for strike,“Yeah I do, and what I see is a family fightin’ to protect each other- same as they would before all this. Some things are different, more dangerous, yeah, I ain’t stupid, but somethings haven’t changed.”

Her blue eyes shone up at him, surprisingly bright and fervent. One small hand rose to rest lightly on his hip. “Some things shouldn’t change.”

How he wanted to believe her. There was nothing Daryl wanted more than to dedicate the rest of his life to trying to wrap himself around this girl’s sunshine, but he lived in fear of the possibility of shrouding her light with his darkness. She was strong, but how could he expect her to hold his demons at bay when he could barely do that himself?

“People change Greene. Yer gonna realize I ain’t worth it, worth you. I ain’t gonna push you away” (God he wasn’t strong enough for that) “But y’need to know what’ll happen.”

Beth raised her other hand to his hip, holding him in some sort of light, barely there embrace, and yet he had never felt so anchored to anyone in his life. A small smile grew across her features, lighting her face and he couldn’t help but raise his hand to play with her hair, to try and capture some of the strands of light and absorb them into his fingers.

“That’s the beautiful thing. We don’t know what’ll happen. We gotta appreciate what we have.” Beth rose on her tiptoes, watching the almost desperate expression laid across her hunter’s features.

She whispered, her breath fanning across his lips, her lips brushing across his with every word, “And I appreciate you.”

It was all Daryl could do to keep from devouring her. Just the day before, Beth had been burying herself under walls to try and keep herself from her judgement, from feeling anything. How was it possible that she could still find the strength to try and convince him that feeling, appreciating, living were worth fighting for? How could she still believe that?

“God,” He breathed out, his hand moving from her hair to brush lightly against her cheek, “you still find things beautiful even after the whole damn world’s gone to shit.”

He couldn’t help but think she was the most beautiful damn thing in the world.

“I’m tryin’. I know yesterday was a shock, but I’ve been telling myself all day that I’m still here. Still with my family and just because the world ain’t so beautiful anymore, it doesn’t mean there aren’t pieces, flashes of it. Just gotta look for it.”

Daryl shook his head in disbelief. Beth almost chuckled at the expression on his face, but figured she might as well tell him the last few thoughts, the one’s she clung on to when she needed to see any sort of light in the world,

“And Daryl? Right now I’m lookin’ for it and I’m seeing you. The beauty of a good person in the midst of all this.”

Beth knew she’d always been the girl in their family with a song on her lips. She knew that when people needed to see something good, or hopeful, Beth was who they looked to. Sweet, innocent little Beth. But she also knew that girl was fragmented. She’d originally thought she was gone but she wasn’t, she just had to try and pull the pieces back together.

Daryl was helping her do that. She may have been their family’s light, his light, but the goodness that blinded her sometimes when she looked at him was her light. He thought he was dark and dirty, but in the midst of all his demons Beth saw the light peaking out through cracks in his armour. That hope was what she clung to when all else failed. Daryl, who had absolutely no reason to be good, simply was.

They didn’t move, standing in their place, with her hands on his hips, and one of his hands in her hair, the other lightly circling her arm.

In what felt like a monumental feat, Beth pulled herself from the gravitational field that was Daryl Dixon’s eyes. It was a struggle, but she pulled away and slipped on a less serious expression. 

“Good to know I can still talk a man’s ear off.” She slipped out of Daryl’s grip, opting to reach for his hand instead. “Now come on, before they think we’re dead.” 

Muttering under his breath, Daryl added, “Literally.” 

His small joke caught her completely by surprise and resulting in an inability to contain the burst of laughter. The tips of the hunter’s ears turned red and she immediately decided the loved the look of a sheepish, yet smug Daryl, promising to try and see it more often. 

With their fingers entwined tightly, they made their way back to the group and whatever chaos had unfolded in their absence. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you liked it! Thanks for reading and please let me know what you thought :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally have zero excuse. But I just want to give the biggest of thank you's to everyone who's sticking with this story. Seriously, I received the nicest messages from you guys. I hit a writers block a while back, but you guys are definitely part of the reason I managed to get this finished. This isn't the last chapter (sorry!) but I do have a plan, so the rest of them will get out to you eventually. Hopefully it won't take too long.
> 
> Again, thank you. I love you all.
> 
> Without further aideu:

By the time Beth and Daryl made it back to the group, it had probably been about half an hour. With a cursory glance at Beth, who nodded to Rick that everything was fine, he whisked Daryl away to a slightly more secluded area of the clearing.

Beth's fingers felt the loss of Daryl's, but she quickly filled them by plucking Judith from Carl and playing gently with the little girl's hair.

In their corner, Rick asked Daryl in a tense, harsh whisper, "What the hell are we gonna do?"

Honestly, the hunter had no idea. Granted, he'd never expected a cure, but he hadn't expected everything to go to shit quite as… explosively.. as it had. While Eugene may have lied about his role and his cure, Daryl's main thought process was caught on the existence of HyperTech. If HyperTech was a real company, and if Eugene's calculations of odds were sound- was Washington DC effectively a 'safe zone'? Even if it wasn't, the people were still a factor. People in this post-apocalypse society seemed to be rather twisted. Was society even worth the risk?

He chose his words carefully, knowing Rick hadn't been thinking entirely clearly since Lori's death, "Way I see it, we got two options. It depends if we wanna see the people of HyperTech, if it even exists. Do we wanna look for it and risk it? Or do we head back where we came from?"

Both men knew the risks associated with both options. They also had the mutual suspicion that HyperTech was a completely fictional company. While Washington was a possibility, realistically getting away from society was the better plan at the moment. Rick understood that Daryl would never truly be comfortable in a crowded society but that he'd risk it if asked.

"I think we should hole up here for a while- see what we can find. We'll scavenge what food we can and see if we find anything else that might be useful. See how it goes and if we gotta leave in a hurry then we'll find somewhere secluded and stay there. We gotta be safe but we also gotta stop running one day. Y'know?"

"Whatever food stash we find ain't gonna be enough to hold forever. We're gonna have to head into the woods one day but we may as well take what we can find with us." Daryl paused before asking his next question. He'd calmed down a bit from the confrontation earlier,

"What 'bout Abraham and Eugene?" Rick's face dropped, his frustration with the scenario pouring through. Daryl could understand where he was coming from but he pressed on, "Eugene's still unconscious and he might be a liar but he could be kinda useful. He ain't a doctor but he's still smarter than anyone I ever met."

Rick rubbed a hand over his scruff, pausing to look over at the prone form of Eugene, and the tense stance of Abraham. "I say we try and keep 'em separate. They ain't gonna get along but we can't just leave one of 'em. We'll hole up somewhere for a bit and try and make sure they stay away from each other."

Daryl nodded in understanding. "Then I'll lead a run and see what we can find. You take the group and head back to the building from last night."

Washington was a big city, daunting, but Viktor was adamant that this zone was his. There was bound to be a stash of food somewhere, and Daryl wasn't about to pass up that find in favour of the possibility of what they might find in the woods.

"Good. Take Carol with you."

"I'm takin' Carl too. The boy's good for this. You need anything for Judith?"

Rick looked over at his children, one in Beth's arms and the other hovering next to her. Carl was talking quietly to Beth, and she was nodding, but mostly focused on the little girl. She looked better than she had the day before. While she wasn't the Beth from last week, and she was no where near Beth Greene from the prison, she wasn't crumbling. She looked like she was fighting to pull herself back together, and that was the most amazing and dangerous thing about her. Despite the whole situation, as a giggle bubbled out of Judith, Rick could feel his lips twitching up in the most unbelievable of smiles.

"Food probably, but ask Beth. She'll know best." Daryl followed Rick's sight line and the corner of his own mouth perked up. Judith was pulling Beth's hair and Beth was playfully growling at the little girl, sending the little asskicker into fits of laughter.

"I'm just gonna bring her. Guess we'll figure it out as we go."

Almost involuntarily Rick mumbled under his breath "We've been getting real good at that lately."

"Amen." Daryl breathed,

Beth looked up as the two men rejoined the group, both approaching her. Rick extended his arms for his daughter and she gently transferred the little girl to him, turning to Daryl as he stepped close to her. She could tell from his expression and the way his eyes were flicking around that they were going on a run. She pulled her knife out from her belt, "Carl, you coming?"

The teenager's eyes lit up. "We going on a run?"

"Yea, we're gonna try and see if we can find Viktor's stash. Carol?" Daryl answered. The grey haired woman approached them quickly. She settled in on Daryl's other side, taking her gun out and pulling at the revolver to check for bullets.

"I'm good to go."

The small group set off in the direction of the zone where they'd been attacked by walkers. Daryl forced Beth into the lead, choosing to stay behind them and watch their back with Carol and Carl flanking her. It wasn't how they used to travel, back from when they were alone, but after the events of the last couple days he wasn't about to let her out of his sight. Carl dropped back a little to walk with him, while Carol moved up to speak to Beth.

As Carol stepped up to Beth, the older woman looked back at Daryl before flicking her eyes to Beth. "Looks like you and Daryl are getting awful close these days."

Beth didn't respond to the observation. She and Daryl weren't Carol's business but she knew the woman would continue pressing, so she waited for the follow up question.

"Nothing's going to happen- you know that right?" At this, Beth did flick her eyes over to Carol. While the grey haired woman was probably the closest thing Daryl had to a best friend, Beth had always wondered if she'd ever thought of Daryl in a more than platonic way. Still,

"I fail to see how it's your business whether or not anything happens." Her words were quiet, and softly spoken, in a way that only Beth Greene could ever manage to be harsh.

Just as Beth could be hard yet soft at the same time, Carol had a skill for sounding patronizing, "Don't take offence sweetie. I'm just trying to keep you from getting hurt. The last thing we need is to have you heartbroken. The world doesn't exactly allow for that these days."

Something about the wording of what Carol had said, had the muscles tensing in Beth's lower stomach in frustration. She wasn't some teenage girl who worried about heart break. That was the last thing on her mind these days and Carol needed to understand that.

"I'm not the same Beth Greene, Carol. You don't hafta worry about me getting me heart broken."

"Of course, I know you're strong. You saved yourself, and him. I believe you. I do. Just- you've never seen the ugly parts of Daryl Dixon and they're a whole other battle you've never fought."

Beth's eyes flicked back to Daryl, her mind racing to the moonshine shack, the scars on his back, that damn book about moving on from abuse. Carol didn't have a right to any of those memories or pieces of Daryl, no matter how much she knew and loved the man.

"Respectfully I don't think you know quite what you're talking about, but thank you for your concern. I'll keep it in mind."

The older woman smiled and slid back to walk with Daryl, while Carl moved up to speak to Beth. "Hi Carl."

"So I had a question." The teenage boy shook his hair out of his eyes, looking quickly at Beth for permission before pressing forwards. "I remember meeting Morgan a while back, but he wasn't exactly… all there. You travelled with him for a while, how is he now?"

A faint smile spread across Beth's lips as she thought back to Morgan. The man definitely hadn't been all there- but neither had she. Morgan definitely hadn't made the strides back to sanity that Beth had, but he wasn't the same as when they'd crossed paths.

"He was quiet I guess, but I mean we both were. Didn't have much to talk about, or say, you know?"

To Beth's surprise, at the end of her statement, Carl started laughing. "If you told me a year ago Beth Greene wouldn't have much to say I would have laughed in your face."

Even Beth smiled at his words, but her smiled faded as Carl's laughter trailed off into something far more serious. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing. You're different but I guess we all are. What you did yesterday.."

"Don't. Seriously Carl."

"And I'm serious Beth. I saw you. I've seen you. Before, during, and after. We all see you. And yeah, you scare me. But so does my dad. And Daryl. And Michonne. You all terrify me. My dad has literally ripped a man's throat out with his teeth. Daryl wore a necklace of Walker ears. Michonne made pet walkers out of her own family. But that's what makes me all the more glad you're on my side. We do what we have to to survive. You all have your reasons, and yeah we get harder, but it ain't a bad thing. Before all this you sang Judith to sleep. You told us what she needed. You took care of her."

"I don't sing anymore." Beth mumbled out.

Carl ignored her and pressed forwards, "I don't know what you were like during the separation, but I saw you during the fight with the Walkers and with Viktor. Now you can protect Judith, and us, and yourself. And after the fight? I saw you chase after Daryl when he scared the shit out of me. Now you're on a run for Judith. It's like you took the old beth and the separated Beth and, I dunno, found a way to mix them."

"Carl-"

"My dad notices, we all do. So, like I guess what I'm trying to saw is what I'd want someone to say to me. While you may not be okay with what you've done, the rest of us are. No matter what. You're family."

Beth couldn't help the tears that pricked at her eyes. Carl had been such a kid when she'd met him and he'd grown up so much. She stopped walking and grabbed him, bringing him in to her in a hug. "Carl Grimes, you are way too old for your age."

"Amen." Beth laughed a little at the word.

"You know that's the only word Morgan spoke to me for months? I thought I'd actually died and was in some sort of twisted hell with a religious mad man, some demonic Noah. I half expected him to ask me to build an ark with him."

"That's a totally viable option. Actually no, we should just bail and live on Mars. I bet there's water some where."

Even Daryl huffed out a laugh at Carl's comment. "You read too many comic books kid."

Carl stepped out of Beth's grip to look at the older hunter. "You wish you read as many as me."

"You know what? I do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!!!
> 
> I'm so incredibly sorry this took so long to post. All I can say is I've been so busy but please don't hate me :( The rating changed for the story a little, you'll see why in this chapter. If explicit scenes are something you'd like to avoid, I'd suggest you stop reading after "Cause I ain't sayin' it again" and pick up again next chapter (these types of scenes may make appearances occasionally as the book continues but they won't be the central theme so don't worry about missing too too much). I know exactly what's going to happen in the next chapter and I'd love to say it'll be up next week but I can't keep these promises as I have no guarantee as to how long it'll take me to write it :/ 
> 
> Again, I'm so sorry this took so long! You guys are the most amazing people for your kind words and messages, you're the whole reason I keep coming back to this story. Thank you so much for your support. Please please please tell me what you thought in the comments or feel free to message me!
> 
> Much love,  
> Lexi

It took much longer than they expected to even find a hint of Viktor and his stash. He and his group had kept well hidden, and tracking in a city was far more difficult than the feat in the forest. There were no tracks to follow, or broken trees to track movement. The alleys provided an echo that resulted in a skewed idea of what was happening around them. Oft, their small group would start at the sound of a Walker, sounding as though it was almost upon them, to realize it was nowhere near them. And yet, this echo was what ended up giving away the stash.

It was Daryl who spotted it, a slight flutter of a curtain a few storeys up in a dark alley. While it wasn’t certain what was in the room above, clearly Viktor hadn’t left the stash unguarded, and the guard must have been getting antsy. Seamlessly they spread into a formation. Daryl took point with Beth to his right, Carol to his left and Carl a few steps behind. After climbing the stairs, the rush into the room wasn't particularly difficult between the four of them. 

Daryl kicked open the door, pressing himself flat against the wall outside, Beth directly beside him, with Carol and Carl pressed to the opposite wall. The open door was rushed by a mechanical flurry of bullets. The shots met only the wall in the hallway before the loud roar paused, letting the group of 4 rush into the room, weapons up. They were met with a tall, skinny man, almost a sickly yellow in pallor with stringy black hair. His face slid from defensive to a slippery grin as he took in the group in front of him.

“I guess you managed to slip Viktor huh.” The statement came across in a voice darkened by years of smoking.

Daryl ignored the man, taking another step forward with his crossbow raised. While he set to work wrangling the man’s wrists into a bind with rope, forcing him to his knees, Beth took the time to survey the room. There was no mistaking this as the stash Viktor and his crew must have been living on. Boxes on top of boxes piled around the room, words written in harsh, black lettering, such as ‘BEANS’, ‘GAUZE’, ‘PEANUT BUTTER’, and to Beth’s delight, ‘PEACHES’, ‘ANTIBIOTICS’, and ‘CHOCOLATE’. She knew most of the food would be canned but it had been such a long time since they’d had a haul anywhere near this big when it came to food, and the medical supplies were a welcome sight.

“How long could we live on this?” Daryl asked as he finished tying the man, eyes flicking up to Beth.

“A while, but not long enough. We need a foundation.” As the words slipped out her mouth, she spotted a box labeled ‘SEEDS’ and it was enough for her lips to stretch into a full grin. Daryl followed her line of sight (his breath catching at her smile was irrelevant) and felt his own face pull into a bit of a smile. Seeds for planting would be perfect.

“It don’t matter how long it’ll last you.” The guard piped up from the floor. 

Everyone ignored him, with Carol continuing the questions, “How much do you think we can carry?”

“No, you don’t understand.” The guard spoke again. “It don’t matter how long it’ll last you or how much you can carry. You can’t take it all.”

Smirking at the man, Carl replied, “I’m pretty sure between all of us, we can. We aren’t exactly a small group.”

“It don’t matter how big you are. You can’t have it all. Half of it is His.” By this point, the guard seemed to actually be warning them in earnest.  

“Oh don’t tell me y’all are a religious sect? Where you giveth half your bounty to the Lord? I’m all for religion but in this world you gotta keep what you need to survive.” Carol scoffed.  

“Not the Lord you idiot. Haven’t you learned yet-“ 

Carol cut him off again, “Viktor isn’t a problem anymore.” 

“Not him, it’s the other one. HIM. You know?” 

Daryl groaned. “No, apparently we don’t so how about you tell us ‘fore this drags on any longer.”  

“Negan.” 

Beth started a little at the day, her gaze narrowing in on the straggly man. Even the name alone had him skittish, but he saw her reaction, “The girl. She knows. Tell ‘em.”

“I only heard rumours about a man with that name.” Daryl’s eyes snapped to the blonde, eyebrows narrowing, and head tilting in question. “He ain’t supposed to be a good guy. Let me just put it that way. Governor style, but not.”  

“Girl, the rumours don’t do him justice. Him and Lucille. He ain’t sane but he’s rational. And he knows how to scare the living shit out of you to force you to do what he wants.”  

“How much does he own of this?” Beth looked around again, silently calculating how much they needed to survive until they found somewhere to stay at the very least. 

“Half.” 

Even despite her most meagre calculations, for them to be comfort and survive, they needed slightly more than half given the size of her group. But, Beth knew it was a take or be taken world. There was no time to be afraid of a man she had only heard rumours of, no matter how scary they might be. Her family was scary too. She knew she was a force in herself and her confidence in those around her gave her her next bold words, “Sucks he ain’t here to get it.” 

Daryl smirked with a huff of a laugh while the man tied up on the floor started aggressively protesting. “Carl and Carol, y’all stay here and guard? Beth and I’ll go get everyone and bring em here for tomorrow.” 

With a quick goodbye, Beth and Daryl set off. They stayed fairly close together for basically the entirety of the trip, mostly for safety, but also just wanting to be close to each other. They made the occasional small talk but it wasn’t until they’d finished clearing a room out in another abandoned office building that the realization of being entirely alone with Daryl set in. It was dusk and the last rays of sunshine filtered in through the slots of the shuttered window. Daryl’s imposing shadow turned towards her as he placed his crossbow precariously on the floor, leaving his hands to flutter to his side as he looked around them. 

A whisper in the back of Beth’s head sounding something like her pre-apocalypse self, nudged her to grab one of his hands and still its motion. She almost scoffed at herself, holding hands with Daryl Dixon? She could convince, or do many things with that man, some of which she almost blushed thinking about, but holding hands? Something so innocent? So naive? Never (not yet). 

It took a few minutes for present day Beth to convince her wistful mind to quiet, and by then Daryl had apparently decided he was in a mood in which he wanted to have a conversation, “How much faith you put in this Negan bullshit?”  

Beth had heard of the man and Lucille, his baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire with an appetite for blood. Rumours spoke of him treating the bat like a person, like a lover; a testament to his twisted mental state. Negan’s reputation painted him as extremely smart, well spoken, and psychopathic. Someone born for this world. He was the leader of a group of people, ‘the Saviours’, who apparently lived off the things they gathered/took from those indebted to them. 

It was a combination of everything she had heard, and the men she had met that prompted her answer, “Enough to be afraid.”

“So what’d’ya say we do?”  

“Take our chances, like always.” 

Daryl scoffed at the notion. “Beth, we can’t keep takin’ risks if we wanna survive.”  

The familiar burning sensation was rising in her. This was it, she could feel it. They were alone and Daryl had been the chatty one, and a double meaning was hiding behind his words; she just had to find it and they could finally move past whatever it was he was burying deep in whatever mental recesses he hid behind.  

“You know what? I’m so tired of that idea. That’s bullshit.” She stepped towards him.  

“That’s what you don’t get Daryl. I don’t wanna survive.” She could see the objection rising before he even opened his mouth but she powered through, “I want to live.”  

“Well you ain’t gonna live if you ain’t alive.”  

“Then it isn’t worth it, don’t you get that? The biggest risks are the ones that are worth the most.” 

Daryl felt as though he’d been punched in the stomach. Her words were crawling down his throat and her eyes burning into his soul. She wasn’t talking about finding a cabin with the group. She was talking to him about their past, their present, and their future. 

And that’s when he finally understood. He finally _got it._

Getting Noah out in order to burn it down. Letting Viktor take her so that she could kill him. And now, in her own way, rebelling against Negan despite what she’d heard because she wanted a life of her own. Or, from the look in her eyes, a life of her own with him.  

Yet looking at her, looking at him, that same damn weight was pressing down on him. He was dirty. He was broken. He let them take her. He was drowning in the guilt of his failure and he needed her to know what she was signing on to, who she wanted to live with. 

But he wanted her. God, he loved her. And it would kill him if he drowned without giving her the opportunity to decide if he was worth it. If he was truly as good as she told him he was. The words had forced their way into the space between them before he could stop them.

“You know I looked for you right?”  

The air deflating from her shoulders told him she knew this was coming. It was time for them to move past this once and for all, no matter what.  

“I heard.”

“No. I mean even before I found everyone else. I ran after _you_.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I ran all night.”  

“It’s not your fault.”She took another step forwards, but he mirrored her and stepped back. 

“I let them take you.” 

Her voice was vehement “No! You protected me! You told me to run while you fought off the Walkers. And then they knocked me out and took me from behind like the cowards they were. That ain’t on you.”  

“But I let them take _you_.” 

“I’m right here.”

“Now. When we found you that girl wasn’t you. She wasn’t right. She was a shell of you. A ghost.” The shutters flickered behind Beth’s eyes. 

“That wasn’t on you. That girl was created by the sick bastards who run this world. Their hands carved her intowhat you found. That’s how they run everything. They tried to take everything from me. My dignity. My worth. But they failed and I made it. I survived and now I wanna live.”  

Beth took one more breath. These words were the finale on this saga in her life.  

“I told you before you gotta let go of the past before it kills you. And I was right. It’s gone and it’s done. You proved it. Over and over. You told me covered in the blood of a man whose throat I just slit that you can still see _me_. It don’t matter what happened. You brought me back. Looked for me. Found me.”  

Looking at her was like looking at the sun. Her light eviscerated the dark spots. His and hers. 

“So here I am, and here you are and we’re gonna live. We’re gonna survive Negan, we’re gonna survive this world, and _live_. You hear me? Cause I ain’t sayin’ it again.”   

_(*****explicit content below*****)_

Maybe it was the force of her words that finally won. They reached into his chest and ripped the guilt and fear straight from it, leaving him winded. But it was more than that. They pulled him into her; the two of them crashing together and he wasn’t afraid of hurting her, of damaging her. He couldn’t break her. This world couldn’t, he most certainly could never.  

Daryl grabbed her face, powerfully but with such care. His thumbs rested on her cheekbones, his eyes focused on her lips. A shudder ran through her. Her breath caught as his did.  

“Daryl?” Her question went unanswered as he brought his lips to hers, no space between them. 

“Beth.” He whispered, lips brushing against hers, letting her close the space between them. 

They kissed like a car crash. Reckless but impossible to look away from. Beth was soft but fierce, Daryl her opposite, fierce but soft. She took a breath before bringing her mouth back, parting her lips slightly and letting Daryl take whatever he wanted. She was his.  

She stumbled backwards and he guided her until her ass hit the desk. She giggled as the lamp rocked, toppling off the side. Daryl growled and flicked his tongue against her teeth. A rush of heat shot straight through her system to her lower stomach. It wasn’t like in the books she’d read, or even when she’d kissed boys before. Before was a constant heat. This was something else entirely. This was breathtaking. She could barely breath, but at the same time, couldn’t take it all in at the same time.

Her finger slid into his hair and tangled in the dark, silky strands; not quite pulling but tugging the hunter’s head closer to her. His body followed, one hand leading her face to skirt up her side.  

He paused as his hand reached the soft underside of her breast. 

“We should stop. This ain’t the-“

“Daryl, shut up.” And he brought his mouth back to hers, hand continuing to it’s destination as her breathing hitched. His hand was still over her shirt, but she plucked her hands out of his hair and reached down to pull her shirt up and over her head. The fabric gave willingly and this time it was Daryl’s whose breath stuttered to a stop. His eyes raked over her, swollen mouth turned up in appreciation.  

Beth wasn’t shy, but that didn’t mean she was comfortable being stared at. She stepped forward, reaching for the edges of Daryl’s vest. Her hands were a question, the gentle push an inquiry. Blue met blue as her eyes met his, his gaze answering her question, following with a shrug of his shoulders to help her slide the vest off. 

Moving slowly, Beth moved in to kiss Daryl again. His hands settled on her bare waist, callouses scraping against her soft skin. One hand slowly stroked up her back and then back down. Up, and then a little to the side. Up one more time and then one hand was flicking the clasp of her bra open while the other reached under the front.  

She slipped the bra off her arms as his hand encapsulated the small mound, his thumb rubbing across her nipple and her breath more than hitched, it stuttered to a stop. Heat shocked from where his hand rubbed, to her core. When she could breath properly, Beth kissed him with a renewed vigour, flicking her tongue across the front row of his teeth.

Daryl’s heart skipped as the sensations hit him full force, his hand on her breast, over her heart. Her tongue flicked across his teeth and he nipped at the small pink tip. Kissing her was addictive, and she was giving in to him like an addict to a drug. Her hands floated down to the hem of his shirt, not pulling, not pushing him, but reaching under the thin material. Just as she did with everything in him, she didn’t push, she reached under straight to him. 

Beth’s hands lay flat against Daryl’s abs. His skin was flaming hot, the hard ridges of his abs bowing to her hand’s exploration. It was he who made the decision and started the movement, as she had hoped he would, reaching down to pull his tank top over his head. 

He was beautiful. Raw. Beth had only dreamed of men like Daryl. The world leant itself to little body fat, but muscles all his own rippled as he reached for her, his tanned hands latching onto her pale body.

Beth couldn’t help but giggle as she took in his chest before he entirely encompassed her. “Do you have tan lines Daryl Dixon?” 

The hunter growled and lifted her up onto the desk, pushing one of her legs to the side as he stepped between them, pulling her body up to his, skin meeting skin. Beth’s arms wrapped around his neck. 

Daryl shook his head with a smile, a small one, almost disbelieving, but no less real, “Don’t matter if you ain’t lookin’ at them.” 

And with his words he bent her over to lie back on the table, his body covering hers entirely. Beth’s hands reached up to tangle in his hair, before slipping down to his neck, and with a slight hesitation, her intentions made clear, down to rest on Daryl’s upper back.  

She knew every scar on his back. She knew the placement and severity of each one. While she had dressed them she had never touched them without medical intentions and she knew that was an entirely different world to Daryl. He knew she wasn’t offended in any way by them, but it was his body and his consent she waited for. Waiting for him to allow her to touch him. She could touch anywhere on his body, but these scars, these were his and he needed to consent to her hands. 

And he did. A whispered “S’okay”, and her hands dropped to his back. She didn’t run her hands over the scars intentionally, she was more distracted by the sleek and strong muscles bunching in his back as he held himself over her. They rippled and clenched as her fingers explored. She passed over the scars, skimming them, tracing as she went. Daryl’s groaned as Beth feathered her hands just down his spine. She felt him shudder as she did it again, this time letting her nail scrape gently. Groan turned to growl as the hunter’s hips twitched forwards, rocking into Beth. Fascinated by his reaction she ran them down again this time scraping skin, not hard, but enough she knew her nail’s would leave a path. Again, Daryl rocked into Beth, grinding against her and she felt the hardness of him for the first time through their jeans. 

Beth wasn’t a virgin, but she had no doubts her previous boyfriends would be no comparison to Daryl. However, past experience gave her the courage to run her hands all the way down to his hips and pull him forwards, shifting her pelvis to grind up against him and a growl ripped through Daryl’s chest, the vibrations reaching into Beth and eliciting a moan of her own. Still in the lead she tugged at his jeans and Daryl picked his head up to smirk at her, shaking his head slowly from side to side, instead reaching down to quickly undo the button of her jeans and then lifting under her back to slide them out from under her before working them off and down to the floor, leaving her lying on the desk in stolen underwear.  

Not to be outdone Beth pushed herself off the desk, nudging Daryl backward as her hands reached for his jeans.

Stumbling a little with the button and a mumbled oops, Beth got Daryl’s jeans undone and yanked them down, almost pulling his boxers with them, not that she was complaining, but was met with a laughing “Wait a second”.

Standing back up, both in their underwear, they took each other in briefly. For once it was just them, like before. No family. No time restraints, they had the entire night. The area was clear, this was freedom. Gorman and the men from before had tried to take acts like this from her, but she refused to let that affect her. This was Daryl and this was something entirely different. This was theirs and this was living. 

Again, crashing into each other their lips met as their arms wrapped around each other. Daryl sank slowly to the floor and Beth sat on top of him, straddling his legs, sitting in his lap. Her hands perched on his shoulders as his hands ran everywhere. Daryl’s lips moved from hers to kiss down her neck, bowing to continue to her breasts. One hand cupped the other while he kissed the other in something akin to worship, disbelief of being in this moment. His mouth took the soft pink peak of her breast into his mouth, the tip tightening as he sucked briefly, releasing it with a soft pop, flicking his tongue over the bud, moving to repeat the motion on the other breast. 

She couldn’t help her moan as it rose out of her, still quiet but enough to show her enthusiasm for the action. A smile flickered across Daryl’s lips as he smirked at her again, almost a dare.  

As always, never one to back down from a dare Beth took the challenge to pull the same reaction from Daryl. She knew her hands on his back was a good bet, but she wanted to try something else. Taking advantage of the position she was in, Beth shifted so she was seated directly over the hard length of Daryl before circling her hips and grinding down, sliding down along the shaft through his underwear and then back up. The motion drew groans from both of them as the grinding rubbed in just the right place for Beth as it drove Daryl to say,

“You trying to kill me?” She looked up to meet his eyes, both of their cheeks flushed as she grinned. She reached down to rub her hand over his boxers, sliding up the shaft to his tip, familiarizing herself with the length. Again, being with Daryl would be a whole new world as she felt the length and girth of him. Again, she slid her hand down and back up to the tip, feeling the dampness of his readiness. This time, Daryl pushed at her underwear, tugging it to from the sides a little and prompting her to lift her leg up and off so she could slide her panties off, while he did the same with his boxers.  

Reaching over to the blonde next to him, Daryl gently pushed her to lie down, spreading the length of her legs apart. He positioned his body over her, chest to chest, one arm holding his weight off her while the other reached down to between her legs. Daryl slid his fingers over her, slipping across her wetness and enjoying her stuttered breathing as he found her clit. He’d never taken his time with any of the girls he’d been with before but he’d seen them slip their fingers down to help themselves along and as he rubbed his thumb over Beth’s, he could see what a difference it made. 

“Wait,” A breathy voice came whispered to his ear as one of Beth’s hands reached for her bag. Deftly unzipping the front portion she pulled out a foil packet, “Maggie made me carry them around for her and Glenn. I know it ain’t much help to them now and all but she still asked. Guess it’s a good idea after all.” 

Laughing a little, Daryl grabbed the packet from her, rocking back onto his knees, tearing the foil open and rolling the condom down over himself before tossing the packet to the side and returning to his earlier position, this time reaching down to align his achingly hard shaft with the opening to Beth’s warmth. 

“You sure?”

“Absolutely.” Her blue eyes gazed into his with what could only be love and he let himself slowly push into her, staring back, giving and showing her everything. He groaned as the tight, wet, warmth of this girl enveloped him, taking him into her body and soul. He could happily live inside her, never letting her go again. 

Beth couldn’t help the moan as Daryl sunk into her. He met no resistance as he pushed in, the hard, thick length of him filling every corner until she was sure she couldn’t take anymore as he came to a halt. He paused, looking into her eyes as they both just took it all in. After everything they’d been through, this is what they’d come to. Beth’s lips turned up in a smile as she brought a hand up to his head to pull his lips back to hers, slotting her mouth to his while her hands traced and scraped up and down his back and abs as Daryl began to move.

He pulled back out of her, rubbing up and over her clit before pushing back in again, gently but slightly faster than before, almost blacking out at the sensation. Their kisses may have been perfectly mismatched but sex was like two pieces of a puzzle finally fitting together. Again he retreated but not all the way out this time, instead he reached down with his fingers. It had been so long he knew he wouldn’t last much longer but he would be damned if he didn’t bring her with him.  

Her breathing stuttered as his fingers picked up their pace and he could feel her heartbeat match his as their beating thundering, stumbling pace. 

“Give me everything.” Beth moaned as Daryl slid halfway into her. He broke the kiss to look at her, seeing her looking up at him in earnest, flushed, a goddess. He couldn’t help himself as he pulled back out, and then slammed in all the way again and again, bottoming out, thrusting desperately, chasing his orgasm, chasing hers. His fingers slipped and slid against her as he pushed himself, groaning at the feeling of her. The familiar feeling of burning reached up to his chest as Beth threw back her head and stuttered out his name, pulsing down, muscles clenching around him. He watched her ride out her orgasm, the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. She was still unravelling as he came undone, a final push and he was falling over the edge. A prayer like a growl to the girl beneath him left his lips, as he shook, falling onto her, hips bucking helplessly as the sensations rolled over him, encompassed him. 

Neither knew how much time had passed has they floated back to Earth, with Daryl eventually rolling off her, disposing of the condom, and allowing both of them to get dressed before returning to her. He tucked this girl into his arms, as if holding her would make her a part of himself. If kissing Beth was an addiction, sex was religion. It wouldn’t surprise him if she was an angel fallen to earth. 

Beth turned up to the man holding her, kissing him gently. “You told me I ain’t gonna live if I ain’t alive. But this is living Daryl Dixon. And it’s so entirely worth it taking risks and fighting for.” 

Midnight blue eyes looked down to meet her baby blues, “Why d’ya always gotta be right about these things?” 

Shaking his head, his hair falling over his eyes, in a moment of extremely gentle affection he leaned over to press a kiss to her forehead, whispering “Why’re y’always right about everything?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you liked the chapter! Again, sorry for the delay. Please let me know what you think!!  
> -Lexi


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